Susan J. Zartman of Mattapoisett passed away March 8 at Forestview in Wareham.
Susan was born April 20, 1936, in East Cleveland, Ohio, to the late Hal and Christine Tweed. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and Northeastern University, where she earned her master’s degree. In 1979, she and her daughter, Diane, moved from Hingham to Mattapoisett, where she worked as a guidance counselor at Old Rochester Regional High School until her retirement in 2001.
Susan was an active member of the Unitarian Memorial Church in Fairhaven, where she sang in the choir, led tours of the church’s sanctuary in the summer, and helped prepare and serve meals to the homeless in New Bedford.
After she retired, Susan volunteered with second-grade students at Dunbar Elementary School and Hannigan Elementary School in New Bedford. She also volunteered at the Center School library in Mattapoisett.
For many years Susan visited residents of Sippican Nursing Home in Marion.
She took joy in gardening, watching the birds in her backyard, going out to lunch with dear friends, walking and visiting her “horse friends” on River Road.
She loved her kitties, Jazzy and Nicky, both of whom she adopted from Habitat for Cats.
Susan was the sister of the late William Tweed. She is survived by her daughter, Diane “Deina” Zartman, and son-in-law, Ulysse Lapointe; her sister-in-law, Suzanne Tweed of Essex, Conn.; and two nieces.
A memorial service to celebrate Susan’s life will be held on Saturday, March 25 at 10 AM at the Unitarian Memorial Church with a reception immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Cats, the Alzheimer’s Association or Community Nurse & Hospice Care. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. For on-line guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
