William Lewis Susen

William Lewis Susen of Kennedyville, MD, died on Friday, December 9, 2011, at his home. He was 77 years old. Mr. Susen was born on December 8, 1934, in Evanston, IL. He was the son of the late William Hubert and Marguerite Mary Goacher Susen. He graduated from Culver High School. A thrill for him as a young man was meeting Donald Rumsfeld at a party his sister Jackie held, at their parents' house. He graduated from Princeton University with honors where he was an Economics major. He was on the Varsity Crew Team and joined an Eating Club, Princeton's alternative to fraternities. He met Shirley in Nuremberg, Germany. where she was teaching school at an American Service Base, and he had been drafted post Princeton. He recently recalled "I figured she was a German girl," but realized otherwise when her German gave her away when ordering another round of beer. He thought himself well off at the time, with $125 pay, of which $25 "was sent home." Impressionably, his lingering sign off for many years hence has been "As they say in southern Germany, auf wiedersehen, y'all!" He and Shirley saw much of Germany from his Austin Healy, which he brought back to the States, later to tear out the under carriage crossing an arched bridge to have their first look at the Cleveland Yacht Club. As an active member of The Cleveland Yacht Club, he enjoyed racing his Star Boat sails #5125, and socially motoring on The African Queen. Bill worked in the family yarn dying business as did his cousin John Susen, Phoenix Dye Works, Inc. in Cleveland, OH, of which Bill's father was President. He came to Chestertown with the recognition that a person spending so much time doing yard work on their Cleveland house on Lake Erie ought to be doing something more meaningful with the land. They bought a house in Chestertown, and soon thereafter bought the farm and built the house from the barn beams and boards where the barn stood. They quickly became integrated into the Chestertown community. He was involved with the Chestertown Wildlife Exhibition and Sale, Ducks Unlimited, the Soy Bean board, the nature conservancy, Maryland Grain Producer’s Association, and the National Corn Growers Association. Mr. Susen was predeceased by Shirley Buchanan Susen on December 16, 2004. He is survived by Shirley's sister and brothers, Marilyn Monroe, James and George Buchanan; and her nephews and nieces, Michael Monroe, Doris and Nora Monroe, Cheryl McElhiney, Tom, Tim, and Nancy Buchanan, and Tonya Epple; his cousin, John Susen; John's children; by second cousins; and by nieces and a nephew. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 11 a.m. at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, P.A. 130 Speer Road Chestertown, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658, the Sultana Project, P.O. Box 524 Chestertown, MD 21620, or the Wildlife Exhibition and Sale, P.O. Box 883, Chestertown, MD 21620.

William Lewis Susen

December 8, 1934 - December 9, 2011