Susan Jane Shoulders of Blacksburg died March 27, 2017. She was born in Charleston, West Virginia on Oct. 13, 1950, daughter of the late John and Ruth Shoulders. She was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Lea Hartman in 2002.
Surviving are her fiancé, Ben Hale of Christiansburg; brother-in-law, Walker Hartman of Roanoke; her brother and sister-in-law, John Jr. and Catherine Shoulders of Roanoke; her brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Alberta Shoulders of Santa Rosa, California, and numerous nephews and nieces.
Susan was raised in Blacksburg and graduated from Blacksburg high School in 1968. She received her BA and MA in Sociology at Virginia Tech and her doctorate in Sociology from the University of Colorado in 1985. After working with public housing projects in Louisville, Kentucky and Charlottesville, she returned to Blacksburg in 2004. She is a member of Blacksburg Presbyterian Church.
A graveside memorial service will be conducted by Rev. Charles Taylor at Westview Cemetery, Blacksburg, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, 2017. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Blacksburg Presbyterian Church or The Nature Conservancy.
