Shelburne resident was one of the first women to earn an undergraduate degree at Saint Michael’s College, then was a professor there for 20 years
Susan was born at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, Vt., on December 29, 1953, to Gladys S. Keelty and Peter R. Keelty of Shelburne, Vt. She died peacefully on June 21, 2023, at her lifelong home in Shelburne, after a nearly four-year stare-down with emphysema and lung cancer. She attended Shelburne Nursery School and Shelburne Community School and graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 1971. She thrived in the days of small-town Shelburne and was kept on her toes by the antics of her older brothers. She was active in the Shelburne Girl Scouts, loved skiing and camping in the Green Mountains, and was an avid horsewoman, starting with the Charlotte Pony Club. She loved summer stays with her family at their Starr Farm Beach camp. She could knit, crochet and needlepoint to beat the band. Susan was among the first women to earn an undergraduate degree at Saint Michael’s College, graduating in 1975. In 1978 she completed a master’s degree at the University of Vermont in cognitive studies. Having both a mother and a grandmother who taught English as a second language at St. Michael’s, she found herself doing the same as an adjunct professor for 20 years. She excelled at captivating students from around the world, developing innovative teaching materials, and designing and running summer programs bringing thousands of foreign students to St. Michael’s. She married Tom Little on December 30, 1977, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral. She supported him through the remainder of his law school studies while completing her master’s degree. Later, she was the rock that anchored the family while Tom served in the Vermont House and never flinched during the storm and fury of the 2000 civil union session. She then selflessly gave up much to devote herself to caring for son Thomas during his powerful illnesses. Susan was fiercely and lovingly loyal to her family and close friends. You never doubted where she stood. She chaired the Shelburne Nursery School board, served on the boards of the Ethan Allen Homestead and the Altrusa women’s service club, and was instrumental in statewide promotion of the adoption of Vermont’s seat belt law. She was active in her children’s activities, including converting the home property into a small horse farm. Susan was predeceased by her dear son, Thomas Bayer Chauncey Little; her parents, Gladys Carolyn Sussdorff Keelty and Peter Raymond Keelty; her…
Shelburne resident was one of the first women to earn an undergraduate degree at Saint Michael’s College, then was a professor there for 20 years
Susan was born at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, Vt., on December 29, 1953, to Gladys S. Keelty and Peter R. Keelty of Shelburne, Vt. She died peacefully on June 21, 2023, at her lifelong home in Shelburne, after a nearly four-year stare-down with emphysema and lung cancer. She attended Shelburne Nursery School and Shelburne Community School and graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 1971. She thrived in the days of small-town Shelburne and was kept on her toes by the antics of her older brothers. She was active in the Shelburne Girl Scouts, loved skiing and camping in the Green Mountains, and was an avid horsewoman, starting with the Charlotte Pony Club. She loved summer stays with her family at their Starr Farm Beach camp. She could knit, crochet and needlepoint to beat the band. Susan was among the first women to earn an undergraduate degree at Saint Michael’s College, graduating in 1975. In 1978 she completed a master’s degree at the University of Vermont in cognitive studies. Having both a mother and a grandmother who taught English as a second language at St. Michael’s, she found herself doing the same as an adjunct professor for 20 years. She excelled at captivating students from around the world, developing innovative teaching materials, and designing and running summer programs bringing thousands of foreign students to St. Michael’s. She married Tom Little on December 30, 1977, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral. She supported him through the remainder of his law school studies while completing her master’s degree. Later, she was the rock that anchored the family while Tom served in the Vermont House and never flinched during the storm and fury of the 2000 civil union session. She then selflessly gave up much to devote herself to caring for son Thomas during his powerful illnesses. Susan was fiercely and lovingly loyal to her family and close friends. You never doubted where she stood. She chaired the Shelburne Nursery School board, served on the boards of the Ethan Allen Homestead and the Altrusa women’s service club, and was instrumental in statewide promotion of the adoption of Vermont’s seat belt law. She was active in her children’s activities, including converting the home property into a small horse farm. Susan was predeceased by her dear son, Thomas Bayer Chauncey Little; her parents, Gladys Carolyn Sussdorff Keelty and Peter Raymond Keelty; her…