Susan L. Daugherty

Susan Lawton Daugherty died July 25th, 2026 at her Presbyterian Village home in Austell, Georgia, just three weeks shy of her 102nd birthday. Susan was born August 11th, 1924 in her maternal grandparents’ home in Summerville, South Carolina.

The second of five children, and the only daughter of Carl Francis Daugherty, Sr. and Susan Hard Lawton Daugherty, Susan grew up in a household of rambunctious brothers and held her own, climbing trees, exploring the woods off West Peachtree, and enjoying Sunday drives with her family.

She was a proud alumna of Agnes Scott College, Class of 1948, and after teaching for several years at Morningside Elementary, her career in education found full flower in her decades of leadership with the Girl Scouts on local, state, and national levels.

Susan’s eight-decade dedication to the Girl Scouts was matched only by her salesmanship, as proved by selling more than 130 boxes of Girl Scout cookies from her hospital bed while recuperating from hip surgery, during COVID.

In 1972, she embarked on a career as a Program Manager with the Georgia Department of Human Resources Aging Division, traveling throughout the state to develop their RSVP programs. Upon her retirement in 1988, she resumed her volunteer activities with enthusiasm. Susan’s unique and loving touch can be seen in multiple ministries throughout her beloved church, from Meals on Wheels to the Archives and History committee.

Susan never met a stranger, and had a knack for building community and friendships, especially when she moved to Presbyterian Village in 1996. Residents and staff alike found themselves willing co-conspirators in Susan’s plans and schemes. Many of her ideas came to fruition at “The Village” in the development of nature trails, annual bird counts, book clubs, prayer meetings, and rousing Kentucky Derby parties.

Whether a misfortunately planted tree, an unidentified bird, or a newly arrived neighbor, all found love and care with Susan.

Susan was as competitive in her cookie sales as she was in playing spoons with family, at times testing the bounds of friendly competition, always with a warm smile and a glint in her eye.

When asked about her life, Susan said: “My interest in all of these past activities is still alive – family, history, gardening, writing, Girl Scouts, church activities, community happenings; all of these keep me going! I have had a blessed life. I’ve learned that when I can no longer do one thing, I need to replace that activity with something else.”

Susan was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Francis, Edward, Lawton, and Bill (William) Daugherty, and her niece Alice Daugherty Harris. She is survived by her cousins Ann Lawton Pearce and Sue Lawton Mobley, and her 14 nieces and nephews and their families.

Susan was devoted and engaging, truly interested in the details and goings-on of her large family and multitude of friends, and gleefully keeping up with all until she departed.

“Family has always been the heart of Susan’s life, and she has always been the heart of our family.” Laura Bonnell Daugherty

Memorial service will be held Sunday, September 27th, 2026 at 2pm at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, 1328 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the Caring Hands Fund of Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, the Greater Atlanta Girl Scouts Council, the Craddock Center, Blue Ridge, Georgia, and First Presbyterian Church.