In Memoriam
Suzanne Powers was born in Lewiston, Maine in 1963 on summer solstice, the sunniest day of the year. This was a fitting date for her birth because she spent the next 57 years bringing warmth and light to everyone she met. A proud and intelligent student, she graduated high school seventh in her class and attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1985. She fell in love with theater as a child, and that passion stayed with her throughout her entire life.
After college, she moved to Connecticut and then New York to pursue a career as an actress. She achieved her dream by performing in numerous professional productions that toured around the country, receiving rave reviews for her performances. She also successfully appeared on television as well. Specifically, her commercial for Pampers was shown around the country, and she would laugh remembering how baby diapers played such an important role in her acting career.
In the 1990s, Suzanne decided to challenge herself by getting a master’s degree from Queens College to become a speech therapist. She excelled in this role, helping thousands of patients in hospitals, nursing homes and schools for over two decades. In 2000, Suzanne moved to Connecticut and became a vibrant part of the local community theater circuit. She displayed an uncanny ability to balance her time for many years, working as a speech therapist by day and a performer by night in addition to being a full-time mother.
In the fall of 2018, Suzanne was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she handled her diagnosis with her trademark energy and determination. After an arduous chemotherapy treatment, she proudly beat her cancer the following summer. She was determined to get her doctorate at the University of North Carolina so she could teach others about her profession. Unfortunately, Suzanne was diagnosed with ampullary cancer in the fall of 2019 and it ultimately claimed her life on September 16th, 2020. She is succeeded by her son, Jarrod, a loving family, and a host of caring friends. She will be missed deeply but not forgotten.
