Susan Herda

Susan Ellen Herda, a Buffalo, New York native, long-time California resident, and Athens, Georgia transplant, passed away on October 13, 2026, surrounded by her family. As with everything she did, Susan left us while doing the extraordinary and living her life to the fullest – while vacationing and visiting family in Scotland and Germany.

Of all the titles Susan held throughout her life, none brought her more pride or joy than that of Grammy, Gigi, Mum, and Mom. Her children and grandchildren were truly the light of her life, her greatest blessings and her proudest accomplishments.

Her mother Eleanor said it best: “You can show your kids you are the rock of Gibraltar even though you have a volcano seething inside of you.” Susan was a force: strong, independent, and kind. Raising her young children as a single parent in the ‘80s and ‘90s was challenging but Susan always found a way to provide.

Before relocating to Georgia, Susan worked as a dispatcher at the Hemet Police Department and as a student specialist at the local community college. She also spent many years writing guest columns for The Hemet News and The Press-Enterprise as well as worked as a news anchor at the local news station in Southern California. Susan was the de-facto editor and “grammar police” of any high school or college essay, email to a boss, text message, and restaurant signage (in fact, this writer is wondering if she would approve of this very document you are reading now).

Susan moved to Athens, Georgia in 2007 and quickly became immersed in Georgia culture. She loved all things Georgia Bulldogs and enjoyed nothing more than fighting the traffic in downtown Athens on gameday just to see all the fanfare and excitement. Susan retired from the University of Georgia where she treasured working at the College of Pharmacy with all the PharmD nerds. Her favorite part was working face-to-face with students, seeing them achieve their goals and white coats.

Susan was an avid sewist and quilter and was actively involved in the Athens-Oconee chapter of Quilts of Valor where she helped piece, sew, and bind hundreds of quilts for military veterans over the last decade. The Quilts of Valor organization gave Susan a way to give back to the military community, where every one of her children and many family members served (Go Navy, Beat Army!). She was a longtime friend, contributor, and leader within the Cotton Patch Quilt Guild in Athens where she lit up the Cotton Patch Charity Bee sewing room with her signature dimples and beautiful smile. Susan also volunteered her time working with Wreaths Across America every December to honor our fallen soldiers.

Susan was always a lover of all critters, even as a small child, and had been involved in several animal rescue organizations for decades. She loved helping to transport sick, injured, adopted, and rescued pets all around the Southeast, and adopted several dozen of her own pets over the years. In typical Susan fashion, even against the advice of her children, her philosophy was always: “What’s one more?”

Susan is survived by her son, Ted Lemerande (Suffolk, VA); her daughters, Jordan Lemerande (Escondido, CA), Elizabeth “Betsy” Walker (Athens, GA) and Megan Warneke (Stuttgart, Germany), as well as her sister, Margaret Simpson (Philadelphia, PA). She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, who meant more to her than anyone else: Ethan, Shelby, William, Eddie, Benny, Harper. She adored all her kids’ spouses, including Beth, Fred, and Dustin; her sister’s husband Cris, her nieces Michelle and Eleanor, nephews Eddie and James, plus, many Buffalonian cousins. She was preceded in death by her mother, Eleanor Herda, father, Edward Herda, and brother Michael Herda.

Above all, Susan’s greatest legacy will be the love she poured into her family and friends, the hundreds of quilts she shared with the world, her spirit of being involved in as many school and extracurricular events as possible, and all the furrever homes found because of her. Though she will be deeply missed, we will always remember her as the soft landing we all needed from time to time, a fierce advocate for all, and as a wonderful host who would have an apple streusel ready in a pinch. She truly stitched together a beautiful life for us all.

Let’s raise a Buffalo wing, a paw, or a longarm to our dear Susie Q!

GO BILLS & GO DAWGS

The family will receive visitors at Lord & Stephens East, 4355 Lexington Rd., Athens, GA 30605, on Friday, November 13, starting at 2:00 pm, with a Celebration of Life beginning at 4:00 pm. 

Please wear your USA, Bills, or Dawgs colors, and bring a quilt or project she helped create to show off! Please join her family and friends to celebrate a very well lived life.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to: Quilts of Valor, Athens-Oconee Chapter (Group #23790), Madison-Oglethorpe Animal Shelter, or to your local animal shelter or rescue.