Submitted by: Dan Rich

Susan Louise Artusi

June 22, 1947 - Aug. 24, 2006

South Bend Tribune 8/25/2006

A bright light was extinguished Thursday morning, August 24. Susan Louise (Flood) Artusi, lost her battle with cancer on her thirty-eighth wedding anniversary with her husband at her side at Hospice House. Throughout that battle she maintained the dignity and compassion for others she had all her life. She will be greatly missed not only by her family but also by everyone who knew her.

Susan was born on June 22, 1947, in Mishawaka, to her parents, Jim and Jill (Schott) Flood. She was a Beiger Bulldog and graduated in 1965 from Mishawaka High School where she was active in several activities, among them the school newspaper and yearbook. Throughout her life she often thought of her classmates, stayed in touch with many of them over the years, and looked forward to their reunions. She greatly enjoyed serving on reunion committees.

She graduated with honors from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1969 along with her husband, Steve. Following graduation the couple moved to the Chicago area where Susan taught for several years at Giles Elementary School in Norridge, Illinois. In 1975 they returned to the Mishawka area while her husband completed law school. After a brief spell in Akron, Ohio, she and her husband permanently resettled in this area in 1981 to raise their daughters. During that period she spent considerable time volunteering at Christ the King School and later Marian High School.

In 1984 Susan returned to her passion of being a teacher. She taught for several years at Holy Cross School in South Bend and later was employed at her beloved Mishawaka High School in the Media Center. Once again being a part of the Mishawaka High School community was a source of great pleasure to Susan. She made some truly great friends there who became a major part of her life. Guiding students, interacting with them and helping them with any problems that came their way also meant a great deal to her. She happily undertook the challenge of organizing and conducting Career Day for the juniors and seniors. As many people in the community know, every other year they could count on a letter or phone call from her to ask them to participate and share their professional and work experiences with the students.

She also looked forward to working on the annual Mishawaka High School holiday food drive, not only because of its purpose but also because she would see many former students who were on holiday break and help in the drive. She delighted in maintaining contact with former students, even years after they had moved on. She avidly attended Mishawaka High School sporting events, especially games played while former students were home on college holiday or semester break. Their successes were a source of great pleasure to her. Some of them came to call her mom.

Susan touched many lives. Her generosity of spirit and warm personality immediately put people at ease. She never met a stranger and always looked for the best in people. Helping others was instinctual and important to her. That is who she was, whether the person in need was a member of her family, a friend or a near stranger. In many ways she was the glue that held difficult situations together. She used her sense of humor, her energy and, when necessary, her firm determination to solve others' problems and ease their burdens.

She was a loving wife and a very special and wonderful mother. Her loving and selfless dedication to her family never dimmed, even while she suffered from cancer. She was also a wonderful grandmother during the brief time she and her husband were able to enjoy and care for their first granddaughter, Abby. Her willingness to assist others and her genuine compassion made her many friends whose expressions of sympathy and offers of help are greatly appreciated by her family. Her disease cut her life all too short and left a terrible void in the lives of all her relatives and friends.

Susan was a member of The Indiana University Chapter of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, Phi Beta Kappa honorary society and was an active member of Tri Kappa in which she had served in several other chapter's offices. She especially looked forward to working in the Tri Kappa annual Spring flower sale and its holiday cheese ball sale. She also was active in and served in various offices in the Mishawaka High School Parent Teacher Association while her daughters attended that school.

She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Steven, and two daughters, Stephanie (Jaren) Kilian, along with their daughter Abby and Jennifer (David) Haughs of Indianapolis. She is also survived by her parents and her mother-in-law, Clara Artusi of Granger; a brother, James (Diane) Flood of Geneva, Illinois; and a sister, Nancy (Greg) Taghon of South Bend, as well and their children, Kelley and Geoffrey.

Her family is especially indebted to all the friends, neighbors and family members who provided support and help during her illness. She deeply regretted not being able to personally thank each one of them for the meals, cards, phone calls, encouragement and help they provided her and her family during the past several months. The family also wishes to thank Dr. Robin Zon, not only for her efforts to treat Susan but also for the empathy and the compassion she brings to her profession, as well as the wonderful staff at Michiana Hematology-Oncology. Susan's family now understands why so many people thank and praise the staff on Ten South of Memorial Hospital. They are wonderful as are the staff members in Memorial's Wound Care Center. Thank you to all of you for the gentle care and compassion you showed Susan. The family also wishes to thank the people at The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care and Hospice House for all they did to ease Susan's suffering and her family's burdens. As so many people have written here, they are truly magnificent.

Funeral arrangements have been made with the Hahn Funeral Home on Eighth Street, Mishawaka. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today, August 25, and the funeral Mass will be celebrated by a dear friend of Susan's, Father Ken Molinaro, C.S.C., at St. Joseph Church at 10 a.m. followed by interment at Fairview Cemetery, Mishawaka.

The family asks that, in lieu of lowers, memorial contributions be made in her name to The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 111 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637; or to the Susan L. Artusi Scholarship Fund, 1202 Lincoln Way East, Mishawaka, IN 46544.