Suzan Howard Stafford

Suzan Howard Stafford, born January 30, 1954, passed away peacefully on December 28, 2025, at the age of 71. A resident of New Bern, North Carolina, Suzan was a woman whose smile, laughter, and joyful spirit truly lit up every room she entered. Sweet, smart, and wonderfully funny, she had a rare gift for making people feel seen, welcomed, and loved. She was, quite simply, the life of the party and the kindest soul.

Suzan grew up in Eastern North Carolina, spending much of her childhood along the coast and in Kinston, where she graduated from Kinston High School and formed lifelong friendships. She went on to study dental hygiene, where she met her first husband, Robert Manley Monk. They shared 33 happy years of marriage, building a life rooted in love, family, and friendship while living in New Bern, Burgaw, and Warrenton, North Carolina. Together, they cherished time with family and friends, traveling often and creating lasting memories—especially during beloved vacations at the Schooner in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with her “Camp 52” extended family.

Suzan found great fulfillment in her career as a dental hygienist, where she was known not only for her skill, but for her warmth, compassion, and gentle care. She deeply loved her work families. She began her career in Ahoskie and New Bern, had brief stays in Roanoke Rapids and Louisburg, and cherished many years with her practices in Wallace and Oxford, North Carolina.

Blessed to love twice, Suzan reunited with her middle school sweetheart, Bill Stafford, and they married in 2013. Together, they built a joyful life in New Bern, filled with travel, music, laughter, and treasured time with their children and eight grandchildren. After her retirement Suzan participated in assisting with helping Bill develop a new entertainment company professionally known as Stafford Entertainment and Talent where she was greatly involved with new market development as well the overall financial operation of the company.

Suzan found joy in the simple pleasures of life. She loved smocking dresses and knitting with friends, activities that reflected both her creativity and her love of community. She and Bill loved UNC football and could often be found cheering on her granddaughters at their events. Travel—especially trips shared with her close circle of girlfriends—brought her great happiness, and she cherished every moment spent making memories with those she loved.

She is survived by her loving husband, Bill Stafford; her daughters, Valerie Monk Bennett (Gary) and Natalie Alexis Alexander (Josh); her stepson, Cullen Stafford (Louise), and stepdaughter, Christy Willis (Jonathan); her brother, Westley Howard, and sister, Marie Humphrey; and eight grandchildren: Davis Bennett, Edith Bennett, Mary Charles Bennett, Savannah Alexander, Sybil Stafford, Thomas Stafford, Harker Willis, and Johnnie Willis.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Paul Catholic Church, located at 3005 Country Club Road, New Bern, NC 28562. A celebration of Suzan’s life will follow at the New Bern Golf and Country Club, 4301 Country Club Road, Trent Woods, NC 28562. A private interment will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

For those traveling from out of town, the Stafford family has reserved a block of rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern Riverfront, 100 Middle Street, New Bern, NC 28560.

Rooms may be reserved by calling (252) 658-9000 and referencing Code STM, or by reserving online at the following link:

https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/ewnmsdt-stm-0b91699a-7446-400d-8823-df264c97f42a/

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in honor of Suzan’s two Rotary mission trips, which were sponsored by the Rotary District 7730 Foundation, PO Box 7366, Wilmington, NC 28406 (EIN: 36-4850464)

Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the family and friends of Suzan Howard Stafford.