Obituary of Susanne Carrithers Flynn

Susanne C. Flynn died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on May 28, 2012. She was born on January 21, 1920 in Manhattan to Jessica Shears and Edgar Verne Carrithers. Her early years were spent in Norfolk, VA where her father, a Naval officer, was based. Her commitment to and admiration of the armed forces, particularly the Navy, was evident at an early age. When she was a young child in Norfolk being treated for a minor injury, the doctor commended her for being brave. She told him she could not cry as she was in uniform (her sailor suit). Her willingness to 'march to her own drummer' also showed up early on when she was chosen "Queen of the May" and proceeded to chop off her long, blond hair just before the festivities. Her family settled in Denver, CO in 1928. Summers were spent with her beloved grandmother, Susan Shears, and Uncles Randolph and Lambert, at their summer home in New Milford, CT. Stories abound - from the toothbrushing rock to 'Operation Sink the Stink', to photo adventures with her younger sister Constance. Part of the adventure was the annual cross-country trip via automobile from CT to CO. She attended Colorado College, graduating in 1943. During those undergraduate years (as a German major during WWII), she was briefly investigated as a possible spy. One of her professors reportedly responded to the inquiry with "You've never actually met Susanne, have you?" After graduation, she volunteered her exceptional driving skills (honed at age 14 on mountain roads) for driving trucks for the Army Air Corps at Lowry Field, even driving the garbage truck on holidays so a soldier could have leave. She also laughingly referred to "Carrithers Dating Service", since she sometimes introduced classmates to servicemen she met on base, and saw several friends married as a result. After graduation from Colorado College, she received her Master's Degree in German Literature from The University of Washington in Seattle. She then taught German at both the University of Washington and Eastern Washington State College. Following her 'different drummer', she resisted pressure to let star athletes pass her classes without doing their assignments, and earned the respect and gratitude of students who learned more German than they had planned to. A gifted linguist, she was also proficient in French and Spanish. While working at Cornell in 1951, she met her husband, John Edward Flynn, a graduate student in entomology. They married in Ithaca, NY on December 15, 1951, and used their travel to John's new position in Honduras (with the United Fruit Co. studying insects on a banana plantation) as a honeymoon cruise. There Susanne gave birth to Susan Caroline, the first of 5 children. Jessica Constance was born in New Milford, CT and Catherine Hobbs was born in Raleigh, NC. For a brief period of time, Susanne taught French and German at the New York Military Academy. Eventually Susanne and John settled in Albany, NY, where John taught at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Jonathan Ogden and Caroline Moore were born. Susanne devoted herself to raising her children, and was an active member of the Monday Musical Club. She loved the opera, and Saturday broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera House could be heard from every radio in the house. She practiced her singing daily, and even performed an operatic aria as part of a class at the College of Saint Rose. A lifelong Episcopalian, in Albany she was a communicant first at St. Alban's, then Grace and Holy Innocents, and finally the Cathedral of All Saints where she was a member of the Altar Guild and a choir mother. To make sure all had choir opportunities, she chauffeured her 5 children to 3 separate churches for Sunday masses and weeknight choir practices. Her vitality and exceptional driving skills came in handy on many a Christmas Eve, when digging out the Volkswagon bus and sliding on icy roadways were taken in stride while delivering youngsters to their respective midnight masses. After she was widowed in 1983, she made several trips abroad with her sister, traveling to Venice and cruising on the Volga in Russia. She ran the Freihofer's Run for Women, finishing 4th in her age group at age 67. She overcame being hit by a car while crossing the street at age 79, and remained active until the last few months of her life. She enjoyed exercising at the Albany JCC and knitting fancy scarves, which she carried in a gold tote bag and gave away freely. She was lovingly involved in the lives of her children as they married and raised children, and adopted a schedule of praying for a child per week on a rotating basis. "It's your week, dear" was the lead-in to many a phone call. Her grace and zany sense of humor never left her and will be greatly missed. Susanne's husband John and son-in-law David Park predeceased her. She is survived by her son Jonathan and her daughters Susan Flynn Park, Jessica Vogelien (Leo), Catherine Sharafanowich (Douglas) and Caroline Robinson (Dean). Also by her grandchildren Jonathan Park and fiance Alia Hanna Habib, Elizabeth Park, Alison Vogelien, Devon Sharafanowich and Theo Robinson, and by her sister, Constance Van Horn Duppenthaler, niece Sharon Reuter (Rick), nephews Gregory Van Horn (Larkin) and Creighton Van Horn (Beatrice), and great nieces Amelia (son Mohammad), Alicia, Jessica (Dan) and Rachel. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday June 6, 2012 at The Cathedral of All Saints, S. Swan St., Albany, NY at 6:00 pm. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Reilly & Son Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Friends of the Choir at the Cathedral of All Saints, or the Community Hospice would be appreciated. The family would like to thank Dr.Stephen Hillinger for many years of exemplary care, all of the team at the Community Hospice, and especially Josephine and Rebecca for their exceptional and compassionate caregiving in Susanne's last weeks.