I met Susan when I was fourteen years old in 2011. 
I never imagined that we would become dear friends. 
Her keen intellect and knowledge of so many areas made her a fascinating conversationalist.
Susan was deeply intellectual and I remember our long conversations about various topics ranging from Queen Victoria to our love of opera and fascination with theology. 
Susan was one of my dearest friends and my confidant. 
My family and I will miss her greatly. 
May her soul rest in peace.

I included this photo of Susan meeting Garrison Keillor at Mykos's college graduation because it was one of the few times I have seen her (totally fangirling!) at a loss for words.  As he reached out, she managed to say, "You mean so much to me." 
 And indeed, he did.  That's because they were two of a kind, quick to notice and celebrate ordinary people.  Like GK, Susan was a storyteller. It was an apt meeting of the minds and a joy to witness.

It has taken me weeks to even think about posting because the loss of a person who was so entrenched in my heart and family has been hard to fully fathom.  I met Susan via my husband when they were both involved with United Way. It was 1976, I had just moved to Houston and was living the splendid isolation of being a stay at home Mom.  Susan, then the mother of Nijole and Baby Karina, became my lifeline - the whip smart, multi-talented, unbelievably empathetic friend and comadre, whom I felt so very lucky to find.  A deep friendship was born that lasted through childbearing, (Kate and Myko!) child rearing, career building, empty nesting and our own aging process.  Holidays, vacations, good days and bad days, we shared them all, along with the challenges of marriage, parenting, and trying to maintain some 'apartness' from our consuming roles.  This picture was taken in Boston on one of our rare but cherished journeys on which we explored, luxuriated in our downtime, and laughed endlessly.  Susan loved the world of ideas:  books, art, music, being exposure to different cultures and could uncover hidden facets in people whom many of us might just walk by.  Her genuine interest and deep sense of justice touched so many lives in ways that will far outlive her. She was another mother figure to my children, who also bear her imprint.  The hours of deep conversation we shared after school/work while our youngsters watched The Brady Bunch (yup!) will live with me always.  Susan's gifts were legion, but her challenges were also huge. My hope for her now is that there IS a heaven where Leonard Bernstein lives and plays piano - and they can sit at a keyboard together and create some of the music that fed her soul. Rest in peace - my thanks and love, my lifelong friend.

Susan was a like second mom to me. I’m sure many others experienced her the same. She was my mom’s close confidante and neighbor during my whole childhood and adolescence, there for after school pick-ups, summers, weekends, and most major holidays, as were Nijole, Karina, Myko, and Vytas. Her presence in those days was attentive, nurturing, funny, generous, and kind. She would often bring me a present on my brother’s birthday, so that I wouldn’t feel left out (and no doubt she did the same for him on mine). Her and Vytas’s home was always filled with art, music (Margie Adam and political opera!), and good food, and of course tons of Mexican décor and Lithuanian woodwork. It was a comfortable place to imagine and create, even if we never got around to building our clubhouse. At some point during my late teens or early 20’s, I spent an afternoon with Susan while she was doing social work at a senior community center and got to see the pleasure she took in connecting with and helping others. I am so grateful for all she did to help shape me in those early years and for being so caring to Miguel and me. Cheers to you, Susan, and wishing you a fun and peaceful cosmic journey---see you on the other side!

I met Susan in 2000 while working for the State after the catastrophic flood devastating our building on Polk.  We were in adjoining cubicles. I asked her if her last name was of Greek origin. She told me it was Lithuanian. That began a wonderful profound and enduring friendship. Susan was compassionate, down to earth, inquisitive and so proud of her three children. As I approach 70, I treasure the wise counsel, witticisms, and good conversation she brought into my life and into my family's life. We love you Susan! In one of our last chats I told her as a fellow lapsed Catholic,  what fun we would have chatting on a highly air-conditioned cruise with iced tea on our spiritual journey after this life. Robert Conlon

My deepest condolences on the passing of Suzan. She was a sensitive, creative, and authentic person who was meant for a better world than ours. She valued friendship deeply. I feel privileged to have known her, a deep, witty, and compassionate person. I hope her departure was smooth and serene.

Susan and I were friends since 1967. Her love of music and all things aesthetic were exceptional and joyful. She raised a family of gifted children and welcomed her beautiful grandchildren. She worked tirelessly advocating for the needs of others until illness limited her activities. 
Susan was a faithful friend who belonged to all of us. She has earned her rest and she shall be missed and remembered,
Mary Sean O ’Reilly

OBITUARY

Susan Elizabeth Gedutis

14 November, 1946 – 31 May, 2025

Heights Funeral Home

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