Suzanne Bailey Twyford

Suzanne Bailey Twyford passed away peacefully on June 28th in her apartment in Washington, DC. She was 92. Born March 1st, 1933 in Orange, New Jersey to Frank and Madelyn Bailey, Suzanne grew up in Essex Fells, New Jersey and attended Montclair Kimberly Academy. Shortly after graduating from Wellesley College with a degree in Art History, she moved to Washington, where she got a job with the Central Intelligence Agency working on the Africa Desk. She left the agency to work for the United States Information Agency as a photo editor and contributed to the publication of Amerika, a Russian-language magazine published by the U.S. Department of State during the Cold War.

It was also in Washington, where Suzanne met Robert H. Twyford, whom she married in 1963. The couple moved to Lake Barcroft in Falls Church, Virginia and, after she gave birth to their two children, the family relocated to Great Falls. Not long after moving to Great Falls, Suzanne began a long and rewarding career as an artist.

Through the mediums of oil painting, pastels, charcoal and collages, she gave expression to her favorite subjects, among them: portraits of family and friends, paintings of beachgoers, scenes of horses in rural Virginia, and the family coon hound sporting antique hats. She won many awards, and her works are in private collections all over the world. Suzanne was also an avid skier, swimmer and tennis player as well as a talented pianist and enjoyed playing everything from Rachmaninoff to Sondheim, often at family gatherings.

She lived in Great Falls for over 40 years before returning to the District in 2013. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, her step-daughter Maleita, and her daughter-in-law, Jenny Twyford. She leaves behind two children, Robert H. Twyford, Jr and Holly H. Twyford (Saskia Mooney), three grandchildren, Audrey Twyford, Maxwell Twyford and Helena Mooney-Twyford, five loving nephews and a niece and their families as well as many dear friends.

A celebration of her life will be held at Studio Theatre on December 20th at 11:30.