Susan Shaver Norman

Susan Shaver Norman, beloved mother, grandmother, wife, sister, and aunt, passed away in Jacksonville, Florida on July 1, 2025 after bringing 81 years of joy to this world. She was artistic, creative, thoughtful, and compassionate, a warm and gentle soul who will be remembered for her huge heart, engaging smile, kindness and special touches that made everything a little nicer.

Susan was a proud Miami native and active member of Alpha Chi Omega at Florida State University, where she met and married her husband of 60 years. Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Education, she inspired creativity and enthusiasm for learning with her 3rd grade students before leaving her career early to raise her family of three in Jacksonville. After her children grew, she played an integral role in the success of the family business as President of TAPESOUTH.

Susan loved being a playgroup mom. She embraced every volunteer opportunity at school and in the community to spend time with and inspire her children and their friends, from “snake lady” at the Children’s Museum, to Brownie leader, Bolles auction chair, and Wolfson PTA President. She hosted the most inventive birthday, sports team, and holiday parties with treasure hunts and tea parties, ghost cakes, nutcrackers, and a Christmas tree for every season. Susan championed station wagon vacations to the North Carolina mountains, ski trips to Colorado, and endless beach parades to Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine. She thrived as GiGi/Grand Cherie and created special places for her grandchildren, with construction stickers on the wall, hidden chocolate morsels, favorite books, tents, riding toys, and safe pillow fight havens.

Susan loved her friends, delighted in New York City at Thanksgiving and European boat cruises where she danced the nights and adventured new countrysides, thirsting to interface varied cultures. Her sense of adventure stateside grew from cross-country trips highlighting the southwest, to storied National Parks, and a marathon coastal drive from San Diego to Portland where she rode a dune buggy on the Oregon coast at 79. She followed almost every NASA launch and was fascinated by space exploration, physics, geology, genetics, history, and the other-worldly.

Susan was strong in her faith, a Sunday school teacher at Riverside Presbyterian Church and a Stephen’s Minister at Southside Jacksonville Presbyterian Church. She watched new Pope Leo’s installation with awe, as she and her husband were specially waved into the Vatican in 1972 by then Pope Paul VI. She felt the presence of angels everywhere, wildlife greeted her and fireflies made special magic around her.

Susan is survived by her husband, W.C. Norman, Jr., her daughters Missy Norman (Brent Gila) and Mandy Drake, and her grandchildren, West, Liam and Presley. She is also survived by her sister, Sally Shaver Hancock, niece Jennifer Schroeder and nephew Steven Wiley, numerous cousins and friends, so many of whom she considered family. Susan is preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Mary Shaver, her son, Robert Woodruff Norman, and her grandson, Finley Woodruff Drake.

Memorial service will be held August 16, 2025 at 10am, Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, followed by Celebration of Life at Epping Forest Yacht Club. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Montreat College Keystone Scholarship Fund.