Susan Dobbins

Susan Culver Dobbins (Susan) passed away peacefully on the morning of April 6, 2026 in Birmingham, AL while visiting family. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she was the daughter of Earnest Arthur Culver and Amy Hill Culver. As the daughter of a career Navy father, Susan moved frequently during her childhood before graduating from Carroll High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1968. Susan attended Wheaton College in Chicago, Illinois, where she graduated in 1972 with a degree in Psychology, a minor in English, and a teaching certificate in English.

In December 1972, Susan married James Gregory Hall Dobbins (Greg). The following year, she began her most cherished role—that of mother. As a devoted stay-at-home mom, she raised three children: Julie, Stephen, and Betsy. After moving to Mount Vernon, Ohio for several years, the family settled in Columbia, South Carolina, in the summer of 1981. During those years, Susan poured herself into her home and community. She volunteered in schools, faithfully served in Vacation Bible School, prepared countless home-cooked meals, and managed the family’s finances. She also supported Greg in his evening teaching role at the University of South Carolina by typing, grading, and posting his students’ work.

After 18 years at home, Susan returned to the classroom. She renewed her teaching certificate while still raising her children and taught at Chapin High School her first year. She spent the remainder of her career at Dutch Fork Middle School, where she taught English. Susan was known for her firm discipline, high expectations, and deep commitment to her students’ success. During her teaching career, she earned a Master’s degree in Education and achieved National Board Certification.

In retirement, Susan devoted herself to her family and to serving others. In the last decade of her life, she traveled the world with friends and family and frequently visited Pennsylvania and Alabama to spend time with her daughters’ families. She delighted in attending recitals, basketball games, track meets, soccer games, and church programs. She went to the zoo, played in the snow, and enjoyed countless games of UNO. She helped with dishes and laundry, organized beach and mountain trips, and took her grandchildren bowling, hiking, and swimming. Susan also cared for family members during times of recovery, whether after surgery or the birth of a child.

While they did not live close to each other, Susan, Nancy, Gail, and her brother-in-law, Steve, made spending time together a priority. She hosted them for holidays, they traveled together, and she spent time in their homes in California and Idaho.

Susan’s life was marked by a deep and abiding faith. She was involved at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church until 2013. She volunteered with International Friendship Ministries, where she befriended international students and their families and helped to teach their children to read. She led the women in her Bible Study Fellowship group, treasuring both the study of God’s Word and the relationships formed there. At St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Susan found a beloved church home. She served in Camp Jam, participated in a close-knit Community Group, and taught Sunday School.

Susan found joy in making others feel loved. She delighted in opening her home and cooking meals for friends, giving away her famous pound cakes, tending her yard, and thoughtfully selecting gifts for others.

Susan is preceded in death by her parents and her former husband, Greg. Susan is survived by her children: Julie Warren (Jamie), Stephen Dobbins (Jessica), and Betsy Bender (Bryan); her grandchildren: Jackson, Jonathan, Joel, Hart, Piper, Lottie, and Jack; and her sisters, Nancy McPherson, and Gail Kozlowski (Steve).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Susan C. Dobbins to Bible Study Fellowship, PO Box 675241, Dallas, TX 75267-5241 (EIN/TAX ID 94-1514010) OR here at https://www.bsfinternational.org/support/memorials-and-honorariums/.