Eulogy

Friends and family knew our Mom with 6 different last names: Noyes, Chase, Boylan, Raftery, Tapscott, and Dunn. But as a lifelong artist and creator, she was consistently “SueVelvet,” which she embraced.

Susan and her brother Barry grew up in Amesbury, MA. Her parents actually built their home on Martin Road! When Susan was 4, every day at 5pm she and Barry would put on their Mickey Mouse ears and watch the MIckey Mouse Club on TV while her mother fixed dinner.

Susan loved sausages, but her mother didn’t like to cook them. One time her grandmother, Natalie Nichols, cooked an entire pound of sausage while Susan was there. She and her Grampa Elmer ate all of them and lovingly fought for the last few links. And Susan didn’t even get a stomach ache!

In her scrapbook, Susan wrote the things she remembered about her Nana Natalie & Grandpa Elmer’s house: fruit trees, sour rhubarb plants, fresh strawberries and pies, a front porch full of rocking chairs with a Navy hammock in the front yard, the cottage playhouse in the back yard,the smell of Grampa’s lighter, afghans, and lots of love.

Susan’s mom, Barbara, enrolled her in lots of activities, including dance lessons and piano lessons (which Susan HATED). Her mom also got her started with oil painting lessons when Susan was 10, and she absolutely loved it! This, combined with inspiration and encouragement from her Uncle Dick, who was an artist, set her on her path to being a lifelong artist.

Her parents held a Christmas Eve open house each year for friends, relatives, and her dad’s customers. She wrote in a scrapbook that the BEST part was that everyone brought presents, but the BAD part was that she and her brother had to sing a Christmas carol standing on the fireplace hearth.

Every Christmas, Susan’s grandmother, Natalie, would make caramel popcorn balls with her own secret recipe. One of the last times our Nanan made them was when I (Jennifer) was about 2 years old. One Christmas, Susan got her grown daughters and grandchildren together to try to make them to honor the tradition.

She didn’t know it then, but her school bus driver was her future husband, Mike’s mom! Susan and Mike grew up in the same town, but didn’t meet until 6 years ago.

Her family moved to Newburyport, MA during her high school years. She was involved in many school activities including being a majorette in the band. 

She started college studying English, and soon after became a young wife and mother. Jennifer and Julie were born in the mid 70s. She was an active crafter when when her daughters were little, and she sewed many of their clothes– with wild 70s patterns!

Susan moved a lot in her adult life, living in a variety of places in MA, VT and NH. She also had several marriages and blended families. Sadly, two of her husbands, Pat Raftery and Bryan Tapscott, passed away prematurely.

Susan explored many different careers over the years. She was a stay at home mom, Avon representative, real estate agent, paralegal, independent art teacher, and probably more that I’m forgetting. In later life, she worked at WIC in Somersworth, and she loved seeing all the babies & little kids. She brought in her own toys and books to the office to help families feel more welcome. She also made lifelong friends with her co-workers.

For fun, she enjoyed skiing, ice-skating, and listening to records. Her favorite was Barry Manillow. As she grew older, she enjoyed attending or leading bible studies with friends and trips to Hobby Lobby and Michaels for art supplies.

Her favorite color was purple, and there was a long-standing joke between Susan, Julie, and her daughter Emma about “is this purple?” Because as she grew older, she’d often see shades of blue or brown as purple.

Susan felt most happy when she was creating art in her studio while listening to Christian music, teaching crafts, painting, spending time with her daughters and grandchildren, and being at the ocean or lake.

Her family had a camp at Lake Shore Park in Gilford, NH, when she was younger, and she held a strong love for that place throughout her entire life. It was here that she met her first husband, Steve Chase, and she enjoyed spending time at camp with Julie and I when we were little. We have memories of happy relatives hanging out at Big Pier beach and crowding around the picnic table for burgers near big rock. 

When I (Jennifer) was In high school, she patiently taught me how to drive a standard. We circled the courthouse parking lot again and again, and I was NOT a fast learner with this. Later on, she came to my rescue when I parked my car and it slowly rolled across the parking lot and down into a swamp. Yep– that happened.  I forgot the parking brake. I don’t remember her ever getting mad at me as a child or expressing her frustrations with us. I DO remember she cried when I poured her favorite perfume into her favorite plant (an orange tree) to quote “water” it.

Susan was an active volunteer, and especially enjoyed working with children.  She was active in church throughout her life, served as a girl scout leader, and donated quietly to many charities involving children and food insecurity. She wrote in one of her journals that it bothers her deeply to see people not having enough food. 

Susan was a talented artist. One of my (Jennifer) earliest memories is watching her press flowers into clear epoxy to make window hangings, when I was 3 or 4. And seeing her sewing in our attic in Burlington Vermont, making dolls and fabric toys for us. She and our dad made homemade candles!

She particularly enjoyed creating art journals and often combined that with Bible studies. Her husband, Pat Raftery, greatly encouraged her to pursue her passions. Together, they opened a retail store and artist’s showcase In Dover called That Place on Pierce Street.

Years later, Susan opened a scrapbook store called Amethyst Scrapbook Design in Somersworth, NH. She wrote that she was inspired to open the store by her daughter, Julie. Julie and her daughter Emma (who was 4 at the time), and Emma’s new puppy “Beans” all helped paint the store walls before opening day. Julie created layouts for display in the store, kept Susan up-to-date with trends, and helped design and teach classes. Susan wrote that it was wonderful to be able to work in that creative environment, surrounded by things that she loved, and to share the experience with her daughters.

Susan enjoyed attending the Women of Faith conferences. One time we (Jennifer and Susan) had seats in the nosebleed section of a huge arena and every time we’d stand up to sing or pray it felt like we were gonna tip over the edge because it was so steep! We also attended SoulFest, the multi-day Christian music festival, for many years. Susan even went with a broken ankle because she didn’t want to miss it.

Mom and I (Jennifer) went on several “girls trips.” On one trip to Maine, we were at a fancy-ish hotel trying to get from the indoor pool back up to our room. We were standing in the elevator in our wet swimsuits and towels, pushing the button trying to get it to close quickly… when a man in a suit entered the elevator and we were super embarrassed. We laughed about that story for years!

Later in life as Susan Tapscott, she opened a private art studio in the mills at Rollinsford, NH. I believe she held her first Bible study combined with art scrapbooking here. 

I think “change” would be a good keyword for her life. She showed us that it’s OK to pick up and start over. Again and again. She showed us it’s good to try new things, but also to not be afraid to drop them if they’re no longer fun or fulfilling.

Susan met her husband, Mike Dunn, at a friend’s Christmas party, and they quickly became good friends. They loved chatting about the old times of growing up in Amesbury, even though they didn’t know each other at the time. They reminisced about some of the same people and places.  They were married soon after they met, and enjoyed several happy years together.  

When she got sick, Mike was there through all the appointments and hospital visits as doctors tried to solve the mystery. Parkinson's disease and dementia hit Susan hard and fast. Mike became her main caregiver because it was her wish to stay at home.  We know that she appreciated his caregiving, even though she became unable to express it.

Susan lived with kindness, creativity, and quiet strength. Her legacy will live on through the art she created, the lessons she shared, and the love she gave so generously. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

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