Susan Kaye Woodbury

Susan Kaye Woodbury — known as Sue to her friends, Mum to her children, SueSue to her grandchildren, and Susieberrie to her dearest friend — chose to live with purpose, warmth, and quiet determination. She passed away on May 25, 2026 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she spent most of her life.

Susan was clever and cheerful, loyal and fair, generous with her time and steady in her commitments. She put the people she loved at the centre of everything she did — and she did a great deal. Sue laughed easily and never complained. In a life that brought its share of challenges, she met each one with good-natured grace and simply got on with things.

Susan loved a good bridge game and made a formidable opponent. She loved the stage and song — brave enough in her earlier years to perform with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Nova Scotia. She helped found and led the G&S Society as its first president. Her favourite occasions were always filled with great food and great company. An excellent baker and cook herself, she delighted in exchanging recipes with friends. A modest part of her legacy is her gift to the family of a cookbook she compiled herself, consisting of all of our favourite recipes shared over the years. She loved her family fiercely and cherished her friendships deeply — including a treasured friendship of more than sixty years, sustained by weekly phone calls, shared truths, and a great deal of laughter.

At McGill University in Montreal — where she studied Mathematics before training as a meteorologist — Susan threw herself into university life, serving in a leadership role with the McGill Choral Society and singing with the Savoy Society. Those years on stage clearly left their mark — it was no surprise she would later help bring Gilbert and Sullivan to Nova Scotia. McGill was also where she built friendships that would last a lifetime. When she entered the meteorology profession, she did so as one of the first women in the field in Canada. She went on to build a respected career and played a meaningful role in the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS), where she was named a Fellow in 2004.

Susan's resilience was outwardly unflinching and matched only by her humility. She navigated a progressive physical disability with characteristic practicality — adapting, problem-solving, and volunteering on the advisory committee of Halifax's Access-A-Bus program. She faced her obstacles with grace and used them as motivation to serve other members in her community who were facing similar challenges. She raised her children largely on her own while building a demanding career, and did both without fuss. When her daughter Heather faced a cancer diagnosis, Susan's devotion was absolute.

In her final years at Maplestone Enhanced Care, she was cherished by the staff who surrounded her every day. The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to each and every one of them for the exceptional care, kindness, and love they showed Susan — she was in wonderful hands, and that meant everything. She remained, to the last, polite, sweet, gentle, and gracious.

Susan was the devoted daughter of Dr. John (Jack) F L Woodbury and Mary J Woodbury, both predeceased. She is survived by her two children, Heather Lally and Stuart Lally (Whitney); her grandchildren Jack Lally and Neve Lally; and her siblings Gail Woodbury and Frank Woodbury (Christine). Her children's father, Graydon Lally, predeceased her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Easy Street Diner on Tuesday, June 2nd, at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation of Canada (HNF Canada), which supports research into Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, at hnfcanada.com.