Winston Churchill was quoted as saying "the most beautiful voice in the world is that of an educated Southern woman".  It is with great sadness I announce the silencing of the sweet southern voice of Susan Russell Rodgers.  Susan passed away peacefully on February 29th, 2020 with her family by her side. She was just 3 days shy of her 81st birthday.   She is survived by her three sons, Russell, Clark, and Kevin.  Her fourth son Keith passed away in 2002.  She is also survived by her daughters in law Julia, Marilyn, and Dana and her 5 grandchildren Crystal, Steven, Michael, Lauren, and Grayson.  She was also looking forward to meeting her first great grandchild who is due in June. A celebration of Susan's life for family and friends will be held at 11:00 in the chapel at Westview Abbey in Atlanta with a Catholic graveside service to follow at 12:00 noon in Westview Cemetery.

Susan Russell was a true Atlantan, born at Emory University hospital on March 4th, 1939.  She was a very smart young woman and excelled during her primary education years.  In fact, her academic performance at Murphy High School earned her a full ride scholarship to Emory University, which were hard to come by in those days.  It is also worth noting that Susan was in one of the first groups of women to ever be admitted to Emory University.  Her presence there was historical!  Little did she know that on her first day walking around totally lost on campus, she would have a chance encounter that would change her life forever!  Struggling to find her classroom, she asked a handsome young man named Clint Rodgers for directions and that moment sparked a romance that would span more than six decades.  Susan and Clint were inseparable from that point forward and would soon marry at St. Thomas Moore Catholic church in Decatur. Like many women of her generation who were expected to choose motherhood over education and a career, Susan made the honorable decision to be a stay at home wife and mother.

Her marriage to Clint would take her to many places she probably never imagined she would end up, including being stationed at Elmendorf Air Force base in Anchorage Alaska during the early days of the Cold War.   By the time she and Clint were stationed in Alaska, she had given birth to four very rambunctious boys!  While there, she experienced both Alaska's natural beauty and fury, including surviving the 9.2 magnitude 1964 earthquake that devastated the Anchorage area.  During the earthquake, she bravely laid on top of her children to shield them from all the falling furniture and debris.

After leaving the military, Susan and the family came back to Atlanta to build a home and life.  Susan devoted all her time and energy to raising her children.  She was one of several "neighborhood moms" that kept all the Berkeley Lane and Merrimac Court kids fed and drove everyone to ball games, the movies, etc.  And no one could stretch a dollar further than Susan Rodgers!  She was the consummate bargain hunter and probably never paid full price for anything in her life.  Her son Russ once commented that she would "buy a dead monkey if it were on sale", and that phrase became a running family joke that survives to this day.  Anytime anyone in the family scores a good deal on something, it is called a "dead monkey" deal!

Susan would go on to use her intellect and talents to teach preschool for many years at the local Presbyterian church. She was also very involved at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic church on Briarcliff Road and sang for many years in the church choir.  She had a beautiful singing voice and was also a very gifted pianist.  Her God given musical talent would be passed on to all of her children, greatly influencing their lives as well.

Susan's entire life focus was on the well being and happiness of her family.  She had a smile that would light up the room and loved to tell stories of her past and about her family.  She was a gracious and caring person that touched many lives during her time here on earth.  She is now back where she belongs, by Clint's side in Heaven.  But I am betting the first thing she did when she got there was give her son Keith a great big hug.  God speed Mom, I love you and I will miss you!