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Susan (Mahoney) Smith

Date of Death: May 27, 2012

Date of Birth: January 15, 1951

Biography:

Yarmouth – Susan (Mahoney) Smith, 61, died Sunday May 27^th at home with her family by her side.   Susan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 15, 1951 the daughter of Jack F, and Josephine M. Mahoney (Driscoll).  She attended high school in Stoneham, Massachusetts, Class of 1969, and at the University of Massachusetts, class of 1973, graduating with honors in the field of Early Childhood Development.   Susan later earned a Master’s Degree in School Psychology from the University of Southern Maine.  

At the top of Susan’s Priorities was her dedication to her family. She was always looking for better ways to advance her children’s education so they were able to become all that she knew they could be.  This went from finding the right day care, pre-school, public school system, all the way through their college educations.   Susan served on the Yarmouth School Committee from 2001 to 2004 where she continued her strong advocacy for the children of Yarmouth. Susan was an avid gardener and camper spending many weeks over the years camping with her husband and children.  Susan also was a committed volunteer for the Yarmouth Clam Festival and the Yarmouth Playmakers. These all were generated from her children’s interests and her support of them.   

Susan taught kindergarten in the Lake Region School District, the Cumberland/North Yarmouth District and, for the past 15 years, was a School Psychologist for the Brunswick School District.  Susan dedicated her life to helping children become better learners in the classroom and in the world.  As a School Psychologist she helped hundreds of children overcome learning disabilities that would have held them back from achieving future successes.  Susan was a strong advocate for children and worked hard to assure that every child with whom she worked left her tutelage with a better view of themselves and better prepared to become successful students and citizens. 

Susan is survived by her husband, Matthew, to whom she was married for 41 years; a daughter Alexandra, 27, of Portland; and a son, Gregory, 22, of Yarmouth and a student at the University of Maine, Orono; two brothers, Gerry Mahoney of San Francisco, California and Jack Mahoney of Stoneham, Massachusetts; a niece, Patricia (Mahoney) Maguire of Billerica, Massachusetts and three nephews, Jack, Bill and Jason Mahoney of Stoneham, MA.  She was predeceased by her parents Jack F. and Josephine M. Mahoney.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1 pm on Monday, May 27, 2012 at the First Parish Congregational Church at 116 Main St in Yarmouth Maine.  Burial services will be held at the Riverside Cemetery in Yarmouth and a celebration of Susan’s life will be hosted by the family in the Fellowship Hall of the First Parish Church beginning immediately following the church service. 

The family wishes that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the VNA Hospice Program at VNA Development Office, 144 State Street Portland, Maine 04101 (Please state the donation is for Hospice Programing) and/or The Center for Grieving Children PO Box 1438, Portland, ME 04104

The Smith family will be making a donation to each of these wonderful organizations in honor of Susan and for the supportive and caring services provided to the Smith family by each of these organizations.