Susan Pascal White

Susan Pascal White, 96, passed away on January 26th at Bride Brook Health & Rehabilitation, with her son at her side. She was born on July 12, 1929, in Neptune, New Jersey. A 50 plus year resident of Niantic, who spent her final years living in Waterford, Susan died following a long illness related to congestive heart failure.

Susan earned a degree in art education and later completed her elementary teaching certification. She taught elementary school in New Jersey for five years before embracing opportunities that would define her life’s adventurous spirit—teaching abroad. Susan taught for one year each in Colombia and Venezuela, followed by three years in Iran, where she taught the children of oil company employees.

These years abroad opened the world to her. An enthusiastic and fearless traveler, Susan journeyed extensively throughout South America, Europe, and beyond, visiting iconic landmarks including Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal, Persepolis - Iran, and countless other historic and cultural sites. Over the course of her life she visited more than 50 countries and six continents.

While on her travels, she moved to Iran and met her husband, Edward (Eddie) White, who was stationed there while serving in the U.S. Navy. Susan and Eddie married in 1962 and traveled the world together, living in Denmark, Albany, New York - where in 1968 they had their son Paul White, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Rabat, Morocco.

In 1974 Susan and Eddie settled in Niantic, Connecticut where Eddie retired from active duty. Susan spent the next few years doing dual duty, working full time and studying at night to gain her Masters of Arts, which she attained from the University of New Haven in 1982.

She worked as a Psychiatric Social Worker for the State of Connecticut at Norwich Psychiatric Hospital until her retirement in 1992. Upon retiring, her social calendar was fuller than her son’s ever was. She was a member of the East Lyme Art League, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and an AAUW book discussion group. She also volunteered at the Garde Arts Center and Summer Music at Harkness, was a member of the East Lyme Players, and served on numerous boards in East Lyme and around New London County. She was also an active member of her church: St. Sophia’s in New London. She also continued to travel well into her 80s, going on many trips including Alaska, the Grand Canyon, Russia, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and to Bali, Fiji, and Komodo Island.

A lifelong lover of the arts and ideas, she found joy in painting, reading, and attending the symphony. Musically inclined, she played the violin throughout her school years and beyond. Susan will be remembered as an adventurous. independent, and intelligent woman whose curiosity carried her across the globe and whose love of art, learning, and culture enriched everyone who knew her.

Susan is survived by her son, Paul White; her grandson, Eddie White; her sister, Evelyn (Pascal) Antonios; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Eddie (1987), as well as her sisters and brother: Anne Genest, Fotina Tinios, Frances Young, Mary Bender, and Steve Pascal.

As a postscript to what is included in a normal obituary, it is appropriate to add a bit more about who Susan was: she was tough as a fast-food steak! She traveled, alone, to South America and the Middle East in the 1950s, a time when women were expected to be seen and not heard. Not only did she do those things but she did them with aplomb, vim, and vigor. She was a presence to be reckoned with, who broke molds before they were even cast, and couldn’t be bothered to apologize for being herself. Hers was a life truly well lived; she will be missed.

Calling hours will be held at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Service, 13 Lake Ave, Niantic, Connecticut, 06357, on January 29, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The funeral service will take place at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 200 Hempstead St., New London, CT, on January 30, 2026, at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at Union Cemetery, Niantic.