Susan Best MD, PhD

Susan Elizabeth Best entered heaven after a month long fight with breathing difficulties brought on as a side effect of chemotherapy. She leaves behind her loving husband Frederick, father James West, brother John West with his family and sister Jane West. Her mother Ruth had passed away in 2014.

Susan was born in Detroit Michigan and attended primary and secondary schools in the United States, Germany and England. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physics Phi Beta Kappa and first in her class from Sweet Briar College in Lynchburg Virginia. She received a Master of Science and PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sue received her MD degree in Internal Medicine from Texas A&M University Medical School and was Board Certified in Internal Medicine. She completed a brain imaging fellowship at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut and had just finished her yoga instructor certification course. Her intention had been to incorporate yoga as an alternative pain mitigation modality for her patients. Susan was a practicing physician member of the Gold Team at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dallas Texas and a member of the faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas Texas where she received multiple teaching awards as Outstanding Teacher of the Year.

Susan was a long term member of the Holy Trinity Choir alto section which had performed at St. Peter’s in Rome, in Spain and at Carnegie Hall. She was an avid world traveler and enjoyed horseback riding whether it was in Europe, the family associated Black River Ranch, Sweet Briar College, the American Southwest or on the Indian Ocean shores of Bali. She was an accomplished chef specializing in vegetarian dishes using the spices and herbs of India and the Middle East.

Susan was a loving wife, hardworking, dedicated and intelligent but all who knew her said she was the kindest person they had ever known. Susan is sorely missed by her husband of 37 years Frederick Best, all her family and many, many friends.

Visitation will be 6-9 pm Thursday, April 7th and Friday, April 8th at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home. The Celebration of Life will be 10 am Saturday, April 9th at Holy Trinity Catholic Church 3811 Oak Lawn Ave.