Susan was a native Nashvillian, and she graduated from Harpeth Hall in 1975. She attended Florida Southern and graduated with a BFA from the Memphis College of Art. In 1981, she received an MFA in Painting from Cornell University. The next decade was spent working on a small family farm. Susan then worked at the Parthenon for 25 years. She was a witty woman who embodied the spirit of kindness and never met a stranger.
Susan is preceded in death by her husband, Nels Swanson, her parents, Anne Shockley & Jack Shockley, and by her nephew, Paul Stumb V. She is survived by daughters, Chelsea Swanson and Hannah Swanson and by her sisters, Sharon (Chuck) Cape and Sandie (Ben) Stegall, along with nieces, especially Maryanne (Terrell) McWhirter, nephews, the Draper and Swanson families, and countless friends.
To hear her life in her own words, visit www.ssjawbone.com/contact.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Marshall Donnelly Combs Funeral Home. A Memorial Service will be held immediately following visitation at The Parthenon.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Susan’s memory to Cornell Small Farms Program (https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/).
Rest in creativity.
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