SUSAN LOUISE CROSBY

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SUSAN LOUISE CROSBY

December 22, 1954 - July 18, 2024

Susan Louise Crosby was born in Minnesota in 1954 and spent her early childhood years in Kilkenny, Minnesota and Faribault, Minnesota. She was the second child of Ruth and Francis Crosby and the younger sister of Constance (Connie). Much of her early education took place at private Catholic schools, including the Bethlehem Academy in Faribault. The family moved to Sauk Centre, Minnesota when Susan was in the 11th grade and she completed her education at Sauk Centre High School. While in high school she became heavily involved in the music program, accompanying the Sauk Centre High School Choir, doing a considerable amount of accompanying during music festivals and playing clarinet in the Concert Band and the marching Band.

Following her high school graduation in 1972, she enrolled in the music program at Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota. Her initial career path was as a pianist, but in time she switched her emphasis to clarinet and performed in several musical ensembles as well as playing in the pit orchestra for a number of musicals.

After graduating in 1977, like many of her classmates, Susan immigrated to Canada to begin her music teaching career in Portage La Prairie. She subsequently moved to Winnipeg where, in addition to teaching elementary music, she became the first director of the new band program at Minnetonka School.

During the 1980s Susan married Michael Teillet shortly thereafter moved to Thompson, Manitoba for Michael's job. They remained there for three and half years. While in Thompson, Susan taught private piano lessons and did volunteer work for the local musical community and the music festival. Upon moving back to Winnipeg, Susan and Michael divorced and Susan resumed her career as a band director, this time in the community of Oakbank, Manitoba, where she was the director at Springfield Junior High and worked closely with Robert Payne, who was then the director at the local high school. The band program flourished under their leadership and the Springfield Honour Band received an invitation to perform at MusicFest in Toronto in 1989. During this time, Susan was heavily involved in the Manitoba Band Association where she did extensive work on a variety of committees that worked to advance and improve music education in the province. She was a skilled and dedicated teacher who unfailingly gave her students everything she had to offer, working long hours on evenings and weekends to prepare for lessons and rehearsals.

Susan met Stewart Smith in 1990, and in 1993 purchased a home and began a common-law relationship that lasted 32 years. Susan continued teaching in Oakbank for another five years, leaving that position in 1998. She then worked part time and as a substitute teacher in various schools. Susan concluded her teaching career after working as a member of the band faculty and the private music program at St. John's-Ravenscourt School from 2006 to 2011. She remained active as a clarinet clinician and continued to work at several schools as well as for the Manitoba Band Association's Junior Summer Band Camps. In addition to her clarinet teaching she served as a Faculty Supervisor for student teachers in the Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba.

When she was not involved with music, Susan spent her time working with plants in the house and in the yard. She was highly skilled in this area and freely dispensed advice and shared her expertise with several friends and acquaintances. In addition to live plants, Susan also created a number of wreaths and dried flower arrangements. She also enjoyed collecting antiques and antique crockery and stoneware and, to the extent that one can spoil a hamster, caring for and doting over a succession of hamsters that began in the year 2000. Music still played an important part in her life as she began playing recorder with the Winnipeg Early Music Society and took up the trumpet with the Winnipeg New Horizons Band. In spite of her declining health and rheumatoid arthritis, she joined a gym and under the guidance of a trainer did as much exercise as she was able.

In retirement she was able to travel and with Stewart made trips to Europe to see the cities of Dublin, London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin, and Munich, to name a few. Vacations within North America saw visits to Charlottetown, Montreal, Toronto, Saskatoon, Victoria, New York, Chicago, Seattle and New Orleans. With her mother and sister she was able to visit Arizona, Washington, DC, take part in a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River, and experience Jasper, Alberta. Her natural curiosity for life was manifested in museum visits and excursions to historical sites across North America and Europe. Her love of travel revealed itself in the way she filled her home with photos, artwork and any manner of souvenir.

Susan was predeceased by her father, Francis, in 1993, her mother, Ruth, in 2011 and her sister, Connie Hodapp, in 2021. She is survived by her husband, Stewart; her brother-in-law, Robert Hodapp of Spicer, Minnesota; her nieces, Julie (and husband Chris Macaulay, grandniece Georgia and grandnephew, Crosby) of Seattle; and Lisa (and husband Jimmy Balch) of Bellingham, Washington.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, September 30, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Fort Gibraltar. In lieu of flowers, Susan would be happy if a donation were made to either Siloam Mission or the Grace Hospital Intensive Care Unit Capital Campaign.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 21, 2024, Sep 21, 2024