Susanna Shaw Petterson passed away Friday, April 5 ^th surrounded by family at her home in Vero Beach, Florida following a reoccurrence of lymphoma. Susy was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 20 ^th , 1954. The third child of seven, Susy was predeceased by her sister Sara and brother-in-law Paul Brouillard. She was also predeceased by her father Joseph F. Petterson, her mother Susan D. Simpson and her stepfather Robert W. Simpson. She is survived by her brother Robert E. Petterson and his wife Carol of Vero Beach, Florida, sister Sabrina P. Babcock and husband Harold of West Newbury, Massachusetts, sister Stacia P. Coughlin and husband Matt of St. Paul, Minnesota, brother Henry T. Petterson and wife Cindy of St. Jean de Duras, France, and sister Saskia P. Amaro and husband Steve of Beaufort, South Carolina and her stepmother Nancy S. Petterson of Monmouth, Oregon. She is also survived by her beloved 6 nieces and 6 nephews and 3 great nephews and 2 great nieces. Susy also leaves behind many dear friends on both the East and West Coasts.

Susy spent her childhood in Castine, Maine, moving to Portugal when she was 10 years old where she attended St. Julian's School. After spending two and a half years in Portugal, Susy moved with her family to Sullivan, Maine and two years later moved to Brunswick, Maine, graduating from Brunswick High School in 1971. Susy attended Worcester Junior College from 1971-1973 and then Roger Williams College in Bristol Rhode Island where she attended her graduation in 1976 with her Alaskan Husky Juneau. After graduation, she worked briefly for Burkey Photo. She then worked at Bullocks Point Boatyard in Riverside Rhode Island, eventually becoming a Master Marine Painter and Refinisher as well as the assistant Manager. In 1990, Susy drove across the country and settled in Sausalito, California, making her home in a retrofitted WWII Liberty Ship Life Boat and working as a self-employed Master Refinisher, both interior and exterior varnish and paint, restoring decks, and also working on private homes in the area. In time, Susy also worked regularly on White Hulls rowing boats at the Dolphin Swim and Rowing Club at Aquatic Park in San Francisco. She was a highly respected and beloved mentor and teacher to members of the Dolphin Club and the leader of the Tuesday Volunteer Nights there. A fitting quote found on Susy's refrigerator sums up her thoughts on her work over the years:

"Craftsmanship is just a fancy word for what happens when labor meets love. Work of the hand and of the mind and of muscle. Work that left some hint of itself and yourself behind after you are gone."

In her youth, Susy studied ballet, rode horseback, and was among the first girls to swim competitively on a high school team. Initially she practiced with the boys' swim team as there was not a girls' swim team. She was a successful swimmer with beautiful form and excellent speed. Family and friends were very important to Susy and she loved being a part of all the major milestones in the lives of her nieces and nephews from births, birthdays, and christenings, to graduations and weddings. Everyone always looked forward to her distinctively wrapped gifts, commemorating almost every Christmas, birthday, and special event. Her gifts were remarkable for her thoughtful and creative choices. Susy was an avid reader and listened frequently to books on tape and she was a committed patron of libraries. She loved to talk about and share the titles of her favorite books and movies. Susy enjoyed visiting new places and was enthusiastic in describing her experiences. Susy made a home for herself wherever she lived, whether an apartment, her lifeboat, or her little house in Vero. She filled all of her homes with her treasures from her childhood, family, gifts from friends, and finds from her many treasured thrift shops. She had photo albums and photos from all eras of her life and work and delighted in sending photos to and receiving photos from her friends and family. Susy loved animals, starting with her dear husky Juneau, the many cats with whom she made her home over the years, to raccoons and the feral cats that she cared for both in Sausalito and Vero. Susy loved to be out in nature, enjoying regular camping trips with friends in California and creating and maintaining a garden in the marina where she lived for so many years. Susy loved to party stating often that "dressing up is just putting on your costume". She loved attending the opera, gatherings with friends, and any and every special event. She could also be counted on to pitch right in before, during, and after a party. Susy was a lively conversationalist and she was always enthusiastic and engaged during any gathering. Susy was a caregiver, sharing her love and concern in active ways. She could always be relied upon to reach out to those in need and she really gave the gift of her kind heart and nonjudgmental self to all who were struggling in their lives. She also left a trail of broken hearts over the years as she truly loved her independence.

Due to the length of her final illness, Susy received many visits, cards, and letters from family and friends expressing their love and appreciation for the positive impact Susy's love and care had made in their lives.

Susy met her illness with her signature humor and positivity. She was full of grace and love in her final days and weeks. Those of us who were privileged to spend time with her and care for her in the weeks and days leading up to her passing were truly blessed to be in her presence. Susy truly felt as did Winnie the Pooh "How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Susy's name to your favorite library or animal shelter.