Susan Alister Bush

Susan Bush (Applewhite) passed on to be with her beloved Jesus on July 30, 2023 after a seven-month battle with cancer. Her three sons knew her as Mamma, her husband as Sweetie, her seven grandchildren as Nana, and many more knew her as Momma B.  The title scarcely captures what Susan was to so many people – a friend, confidant, counselor, surrogate mom, an example of all that is good and kind.  She had a gift of ministering the love of Christ that was, to quote a friend of hers, “deeply personal, non-judgmental, and just beautiful”.  She was a woman without agenda except to know her savior, know those around her, and care for them.  Since her illness was discovered in January 2023, stories have poured in from people from Minnesota to Florida and beyond.  Susan not only touched peoples’ lives.  She gave herself fully to people, sometimes to the point one might think risky or foolish, but her love changed peoples’ lives as a result.

Susan grew up in Chattanooga, TN in a Catholic community centered around OLPH Church.  She made many lifelong friends in those years.  She moved to Minnesota with her family and attended college in Duluth, MN on the north shore of Lake Superior where she met Jack in a small church.  Their friendship grew into love and marriage, with all three sons being born there.  Her faith blossomed along with her natural gifts for compassion and giving, expressed in her work as a Gerontologist.  She pioneered the use of Validation Therapy for dementia patients, developing teaching materials for seminars throughout the Midwest.  In 1990 the family moved to Lake Mary, FL, with Susan putting her career on hold to raise her boys.  In 2005, when the kids were almost out of the nest, the family moved to Athens where they were part of a church plant.  Susan made new friends and cared for them as well.  She worked at UGA’s Gerontology program and later at the Athens Community Counsel on Aging.

While her cancer diagnosis was recent, for much of her life Susan had chronic anxiety and depression.  In 2010 she had a rare psychological attack that resulted in temporary physical paralysis.  She was forced to stop working and engage in a decade-long battle with mental illness.  She did not let the disease stop her from focusing her life on others; rather, it informed her compassion in a profound way.  She remained steadfast in her faith through it all.  She was open about her battle in a time when society still stigmatizes mental illness.

Susan shared a love of the outdoors with Jack, hiking, camping,canoe paddling, and swimming.  She loved to visit the ocean on day trips with her boys and on vacation, and the Tennessee mountains.  She had a great sense of humor but knew few jokes – ask her boys!  More than anything, she loved to be with her family and stay in touch with friends, visiting, commiserating, praying, and counseling.

A memorial service and reception will be held at at 2:30 PM on Sunday August 13 at St. James Methodist Church, 111 West Lake Drive, Athens, GA 30606.  Flowers may be sent to St. James, or gifts may be made to the church’s missions fund.

If you are unable to attend the service in person, you can participate via a YouTube live stream using the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/live/MhMhekFWKww?feature=share