Susan Augusta Mumford

Susan Augusta (Axford) Mumford, “Sue”, of Chestertown, Maryland; formerly of Randolph, New Jersey, died peacefully at home on May 5, 2026, at the age of 95. Sue is survived by her children, David L. Mumford of Chestertown, and Cathy Mumford Helmuth and her husband, Garrett Helmuth of West Chester, Pennsylvania; her grandsons David R. Mumford, Michael J. Mumford (Ashley Tryba), and William L. Mumford (Vanessa Guzman), and her great-granddaughters Aleah and Angela. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert E. Mumford of Chestertown, and her son, Daniel H. Mumford. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Ella Axford of Camden, Maine; and her husband’s parents, Frank and Rosetta Mumford of Oswego, New York. Susan (Axford) Mumford was born on September 30, 1930, in East Orange, New Jersey. She graduated from Morristown High School (NJ) in 1948. She attended Berkeley School (now Berkeley College in New York City), before landing a job in Manhattan with McGraw-Hill Publishing as the assistant to an editor. After meeting and marrying her husband, Bob, and eventually settling in a new home in the hills of Randolph, New Jersey, she stayed at home with her young children until they were all in a full day of school, and then went back to work. She did temporary secretarial work with a few companies part-time, until she started a full-time job with Tri-Co Federal Credit Union in Morristown where she worked until she retired in 1987. Sue and Bob enjoyed a fun and active retirement together until his death in 2016. Together they logged almost 62 years of marriage. After retirement, Sue and Bob sold their home in Randolph and moved to a lovely home with a beautiful view of the river in Chestertown, Maryland. Once in Chestertown, Sue realized quickly that if she ever wanted to see her husband, she had to learn to golf. Learn she did, and went on to play a lot of golf and make a lot of friends at the Chester River Yacht and Country Club where she remained a member until her last days. She was a great golfer and played and had winnings in many tournaments. She even went out and played a few holes on her 90th birthday! As a young woman and throughout her life, Sue had many creative pursuits. She enjoyed oil and watercolor painting, Zentangle drawing, and especially crewel embroidery. There are many beautiful pieces of crewel work displayed in her home. Sue also enjoyed gardening. In her early 80s, while walking in town and passing the music store, she admired a cute blue ukulele in the window and told her daughter that she would like to learn how to play. Soon after, she bought the cute uke, and started lessons. When she became proficient, she joined a local group who would get together weekly and play. She performed with the group at Chestertown events and even at an “open-mic” night at the Prince Theatre. Sue volunteered at Morristown Memorial Hospital as a “Pink Lady” for many years before she retired and moved, and then served as a volunteer at the Chestertown Hospital from 1988 until being dismissed for her safety by the pandemic in 2020. She was transporting patients in wheelchairs when she was 90 years old. Sue was active with her local Questers chapter, an organization dedicated to historic preservation. One of her favorite projects with the Questers was their involvement in preserving the one-room schoolhouse “Cliff’s Schoolhouse” on Quaker Neck Landing, which is now maintained as a museum. As her golfing and volunteering days waned, Sue kept herself busy as an avid reader—always reading multiple books—to participate in her book club and for her own entertainment. She loved well-written mystery novels. She also spent a lot of happy times playing “Rummikub” with her friends who would meet weekly for lunch and several very competitive games. The family is planning to hold a Celebration of Life sometime in the summer. No formal services are planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Compass Regional Hospice “in Memory of Sue Mumford” either directly to Compass Regional Hospice, 160 Coursevall Drive, Centerville, MD 21617, or online at www.compassregionalhospice.org

Susan Augusta Mumford

September 29, 1930 - May 5, 2026