Susan Gayle Bracey

Susan Gayle Bracey, age 66, of Pataskala, Ohio, completed her long journey on the 2nd of April, 2019. She passed peacefully at home with family and dear friends at her side. She was born September 12, 1952 , the second of six children, to Wetzel and Mary Thompson of Mount Vernon, Ohio, and was a graduate of Centerburg High School.

Known to family and many friends as "Gayle," she possessed a beautiful smile and magnetic personality that drew others to her, including the man who would join her in life's journey for the next forty-six years, Robert Bracey, of Mount Vernon, Ohio. Together, they resided in Columbus and Pataskala, Ohio, where she applied her love of people through her work. She was among the first employees of the then-new Mount Carmel East hospital, working in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. After graduating from Columbus State Community College, she continued to serve others through employment with both private and public providers of services for the MR/DD community. After several years with a private residential services provider, she moved to the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities and, ultimately, to the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities, where she was a residential services supervisor and case manager. Following further study at the University of Cincinnati, she was employed by Southeast Inc of Columbus, where she was a case manager serving clients with both mental health and addiction issues. Throughout her work life, she cherished opportunities to assist those who suffered most severely. Nothing pleased her more than helping a severely-challenged client acquire sufficient skills and confidence to move from an institutional home to a more independent setting. She accomplished those goals by giving more of herself than was required by her employers. Her love of people drove her to ignore the clock, her own need for rest and, occasionally, the rules, in order to achieve her objectives. Her former clients are among the many very fortunate people whose lives Susan touched.

Equal to her love of people was Susan's love of animals and her concern for their welfare. Throughout her life she was active in political action related to animal rights as well as various advocacy and animal rescue organizations. She was a blessing to countless homeless pets whether she was helping to find them homes or adopting them into her own home. No stray dog or cat who appeared at her door was ever turned away. It was not uncommon for her to risk freeway traffic to rescue a stranded dog from the highway's median. One of her greatest thrills was participating, along with her mother, as a volunteer at Best Friends Animal Society's animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. In more recent years she initiated, then led the intial effort to find a location and funding for a local dog park. Ultimately, her efforts resulted in the development of the 4.5-acre state-of-the-art Paws 2 Play Community Dog Park at the Licking County Park District's Imfirmary Mound Park. She was a featured speaker for it's grand opening celebration in May of 2012.

Susan is survived by her husband of more than forty-six years, Robert Bracey, her father and mother, Wetzel and Mary Thompson, of Mount Vernon, OH, three brothers - Charles of Tennessee, David Thompson (Kim) of Galena, OH and Robert Thompson (Praxida) of Florida and two sisters - Diane Thompson (Beth Andes) of Wheeling, WV, and Connie Gough (Chris) of Westerville, OH. Additional survivors include her niece, Cori Jones and her children - Darby and Connor, nephew, Colby Russell (Cristina) and their daughter - Emery and nephews Raoul and Luis Rodriguez.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to Susan's favorite animal sanctuary, Best Friends Animal Society, or to a charity of your choosing. Donations to Best Friends can be made during visitation or prior to the service at the Schoedinger Northeast Chapel, or they can be mailed directly to:

Best Friends Animal Society

5001 Angel Canyon Road

Kanab, UT 84741