Obituary of SUSAN ELIZABETH STEVENSON

Susan Fox Stevenson was as much a product of the North as the gold veins that ran through the rock near her hometown of Swastika, Ontario.  She was born into a log cabin; her father worked the difficult soil, and her mother washed her diapers in the creek.

She excelled at school, volunteered at the church and attempted to manage her boisterous younger brothers while her mother worked.  Summer camps were a staple of her adolescence, producing a lifelong love of singing, campfires and the outdoors.  

She left the north to study and subsequently teach at Toronto Western Hospital’s Atkinson School of Nursing, when a chance meeting at a dance at Victoria College changed the course of her life.  Bob Stevenson saw her sitting by herself.  They chatted all evening and were married on April 17, 1965.  When Catherine Anne and Gwen arrived, they had a family of four.

After arriving in Waterford in 1968, she dedicated herself to the life and work of Waterford United Church, serving in every office of the UCW locally and as President of the Erie Presbytery UCW, while also leading Christian Education and Sunday School.  She co-founded the Waterford Food Cupboard and the Waterford United Church’s ‘Moms & Tots’, a groundbreaking initiative that supported mothers and young children, volunteering at both for many years.  Recently, HN-REACH recognized her for 40 years of service to babies, young children and moms of Waterford and area.  She served as a Norfolk General Hospital Nursing Home Board member, acting as the Chair for several years.  She and Bob were selected by Waterford Heritage and Agricultural Museum’s 50 Community Builders as a part of their Canada 150 Project.  She was also deeply engaged in outreach and supported global causes such as refugee sponsorship (Laotian and Syrian), reforestation and eradication of leprosy.  Sue continually sought out information and always had a thorough and thoughtful command of what was happening in the world.  She always looked outside herself, focusing on the needs of others and the environment.

Sue was very happy during her time at Norview Lodge.  We are very grateful for the respectfulness, attentiveness, deep caring and compassion shown by the staff in Orchard Grove and Dr. Thorogood, particularly during her last days.

Sue leaves her cherished husband of 60 years and one month, Bob Stevenson.  She also leaves her daughters Catherine Anne (Clayton) and Gwen, her grandchildren Lukas and Owen, her nieces and nephews Elizabeth (Scott), David, Jason (Eileen) and Gavin (Jenifer) and her god-daughter Carol Scovil.  She was predeceased by her beloved brothers, Robert Fox (2024) and David Fox (2021).

Visitation will be from 6 - 8 pm on Friday, May 30 at the Thompson-Mott Funeral Home, located at 62 Main St N. in Waterford. Funeral services will be at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 31 at Waterford United Church, 135 Main St S. in Waterford.

Because Sue was a committed minimalist (“I don’t want stuff!”), a self-described ‘functionary’ and a believer in global outreach, donations may be made to Waterford United Church Mission and Service Fund in lieu of flowers.