Susan Stokes Roberts

Susan Roberts was born in Lexington, Kentucky. Her parents had met at the University of Kentucky there. The story goes that her father, Frank, had spied a “pretty gal,” Doris Jeanne (Deje) playing the piano at a sorority party. The rest is history.

Several years after World War II had ended, Deje’s mother wanted them to move to Decatur where she lived and bought a lot to entice them to move. Susan grew up there with her older sister, Jane, and younger brother, Frank.

Susan’s first indication that she wanted to study art came from her teacher at Decatur High School.

That goal continued with her experience as a student at University of Georgia. She graduated magna cum laude. As far as that honor goes, she didn’t find that to be true until twenty years later when she discovered a mistake in the calculation and brought it to the attention of the registrar at UGA.

Good things can come to those who wait.

There was no career counseling for men or women at that time, but she broke her first barrier by not becoming a secretary, a nurse or homemaker which were the expected choices for women.

After she graduated with a degree in Fine Arts, she took a job in Boston at the Jordan Marsh Department Store working in advertising. Women could not get financial credit there so she had to use her father’s account to buy a refrigerator.

Her most significant work in Boston was a partnership with an architect, Peter Johnson, in their company, Design Nonpareil. He designed the storefronts of buildings being renovated and she created the signage. Taking ballet most of her young life, Susan transitioned to modern dance at UGA. She continued on with dance and was a member of Dorothy Hershkowitz’s Dance Company in Boston.

After living in Boston for a period of time she wanted to move back south. She became the first woman hired by the Lamar Dodd School of Art in the Graphic Design Department at the University of Georgia; thus, becoming the first female Full Professor in that department.

Susan moved to Winterville near Athens and bought and restored the old bank building there. It is now a charming store for gardeners and continues to be a beautiful monument to her passion and respect for architectural history.

Susan took her responsibilities at UGA very seriously. Her student reviews were always glowing and reflected in their own way their appreciation for her rigor. The story goes that once she walked into her classroom at the beginning of spring semester and found scrawled across the blackboard, “Welcome to Layout Hell.”

She found this message quite humorous.

She retired from UGA after a thirty-three year career there.

Susan also lived in New York for many summers furthering her knowledge and artistic skills. She also taught at Cooper Union-Center for Design and Typography.

Susan’s artistic accomplishments both in the US and abroad were many and varied. Her website, susanroberts.art, tells it all.

Meeting and marrying Michael Simon, a most respected potter, brought joy to her life and to her family. While she taught and painted, he crafted beautiful pottery living on an historic farm named Smithonia in Colbert, GA. Their time there was relatively short due to Michael’s illness, but they worked diligently on that farm house for years trying to bring it back to its former beauty.

Michael’s death was untimely and tragic as was her own failing health.

She is survived by her sister, Jane Robertson, and her brother, Frank Roberts, Jr. and her brother-in-law, John Robertson; her niece, Katherine Robertson Byrne and husband, Dr. Robert Byrne, and their sons, Nicholas Byrne and Jack Byrne; and by her nephew, Andrew Robertson, his wife, Julie Robertson, and their children Reese and John Robertson.

There will be a private family service for both Michael and Susan at the Decatur Cemetery in November.

Donations may be made in memory of Susan Roberts and Michael Simon to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, PO Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627. Memorial Gifts will be allocated to the Michael Simon Studio Pottery Fellowship Fund. The first fellowship was awarded this summer to a student, a ceramic artist, designer, and a teacher, who participated in a two-week clay workshop.

Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.