Susan Spaulding

Susan dedicated over 30 years of her life to her work at the Veterinary Health Center, where she contributed her skills and compassion to small animal surgery as well as equine medicine, anesthesia, and surgery. Her work, especially with horses, reflected a lifelong passion that carried into many aspects of her life.

She found joy in simple pleasures—traveling, going to the movies every weekend, and exploring the wide variety of restaurants in Columbia. She also loved reading, doing crossword puzzles, and taking on do-it-yourself projects.

Susan’s travels brought her many memorable experiences, including a horseback riding tour across Exmoor in Great Britain, attending Broadway shows in New York City, visiting the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and watching the equestrian and track and field events at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

One of her favorite creative outlets was framing. She took great care in selecting wood and mats to create her own frames for the many horse prints she collected. She also generously framed pieces for friends and loaned several of her own prints to the equine department, where they were displayed for clients and visitors to enjoy.

Susan had a remarkable breadth of knowledge and a deep love of learning, reflected in her extensive book collection. She was a formidable opponent in trivia games, people were always impressed by her trivia knowledge.

She planned on travelling, working in a framing shop or bookstore when she retired. Unfortunately many health issues caused her to retire early and eventually forced her to reside in assisted living facilities.

While living at Tiger Place and then Bluff Creek Terrace she enjoyed putting jigsaw puzzles together and playing a variety of games with other residents. She usually won the weekly game of Scrabble!

Susan will be deeply missed by her many friends, colleagues, and former students. She is survived by her cherished friends and devoted coworkers. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Services honoring and celebrating Susan’s life will be held at a later date.