Susan Jane McIntire Wood

Susan Jane McIntire Wood 1944 – 2022 BRUNSWICK – Susan Jane McIntire Wood died on Sept. 2, 2022, at her home at McLellan House in Brunswick in the care of her family, her neighbors, and the dedicated staff of McLellan House and the Community Health and Nursing Services (CHANS). Susan was born on March 4, 1944 to Ruth L. and Wilbur A. McIntire and grew up in New Philadelphia, Ohio. She began playing piano as a child and it became her passion and most comfortable form of expression. In 1968, she graduated from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. After college she moved to New York, working for several years as a school chorus director in Lynnbrook on Long Island. Susan’s New York years furnished her with the sister that she’d been denied as an only child when she became friends with Kathleen Clinesmith. When Kathleen and her husband Ben moved to Maine, Susan, ever ready for a change of scenery, tagged along. There, Susan met a divorced dairy farmer who lived on the Lunt Road in Brunswick and played classical music to his cows during milking. She married Richard on Oct. 1, 1978 at the Durham Friends’ Meeting House. Susan and Richard had two sons, Reeve and Isaac. Susan was an attentive parent, but generally favored a light touch, preferring to allow her sons to learn their own lessons. There were exceptions, like when she would convene them in the yard and pitch batting practice in an effort to bring up sub-par Little League batting averages, and in the process reveal a glimmer of athletic competitiveness that she otherwise kept firmly under wraps. She was a game and curious traveler, leading her sons on a number of adventures around the eastern seaboard, driving through Italy with her friend Madalynn Fatelawicz in 1996, and traveling around England with Richard in 2002. Her job at the Brunswick Veterinary Clinic on Maine Street was one of her happiest. Susan loved animals and had a calm confidence with them, and it wasn’t long before she shifted from the front desk to a more hands-on role as a technician. In 1991, the family moved from Maine to Centerville, N.Y., where they operated a dairy farm for five years until Richard retired in 1996. Susan worked a parade of jobs to help support the family, with her longest stint being at the Allegany County Health Department. She also played piano at several area churches before becoming the regular organist at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Angelica, New York. In 2002 Susan and Richard, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, returned to Maine. Susan held several jobs and cared for Richard until his death in 2010. After Richard’s death, Susan found an accepting community in Durham Friends Meeting in Durham, where she played piano during meeting for worship. In 2018, Susan moved to the McLellan House in Brunswick, where she was loved by her neighbors for her smile and peaceful presence. Susan is survived by her sons Isaac and Reeve Wood (wife Hannah Burroughs); her grandsons Henry Morris-Wood, Solomon Wood, and Reuben Wood. A memorial service will be held for Susan on Oct. 22 at 2:30 p.m. at the Durham Friends Meeting House, 534 Quaker Meeting House Rd., Durham. In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to honor Susan is encouraged to donate to the Lisbon Area Christian Outreach (LACO) Food Pantry 18 School St. Lisbon Falls, ME 04252