Susan Read

Susan Read (née Whitney) was born on August 22, 1950, in Peterborough, Ontario. She passed away peacefully on October 18, 2026, at the age of 76.

Susan is survived by her children, Jamie, Blake, and Bradley; her cherished grandchildren, Amelia, Kate, Keira, and Corbin; Ron, with whom she shared more than 40 years of marriage and three children; and many extended family members and dear friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Mabel and Sherman Whitney, and her son-in-law, Jerrad.

To know Susan was to know someone who genuinely cared for others. She was generous with her time, her attention, and her love, and had a remarkable ability to make people feel important. She was incredibly thoughtful. She remembered birthdays and mailed cards that somehow always arrived on time. She celebrated the important moments and showed up for the difficult ones. Often she called for no reason other than to say, “I love you.”

Giving came naturally to Susan. She offered support, encouragement, humour, and anything else she had to share. If she had a dollar, she would somehow find a way to give each of her children two.

Her grandchildren brought her immense joy; she was a proud Grams. She rarely missed a performance, a game, or a milestone and took a genuine interest in every part of their lives. She listened to their stories, celebrated their accomplishments, and believed in them wholeheartedly. More than anything, she made sure they knew how deeply they are loved.

Susan was creative and artistic, with a natural eye for beauty. She could draw, taught herself to play the guitar, loved to sing, and was known to dance in the kitchen. She had a wonderful sense of humour, loved to laugh, and had a gift for brightening someone’s day. She was stylish, always put together, and had a knack for creating warm, beautiful spaces that felt like home.

More than anything, Susan valued time with the people she loved and the memories they made together. She was intent on taking pictures at every opportunity because, as she said, “It’s the only way to freeze time.”

For nearly three decades, Susan worked at the Pasqua Hospital Hair Care Centre. From the salon’s opening in 1988 until its closure, she cared for patients, hospital staff, physicians, and members of the community. She understood that when someone is sick and in the hospital, something as simple as having their hair washed and cut can help them feel more like themselves, and that being treated with care and kindness can make all the difference.

She warmed towels in the dryer before placing them around her customers’ shoulders. She stopped by patients’ rooms after appointments, often with a coffee or a treat, simply to see how they were doing. She remembered not only her customers’ names, but also the names of their spouses and children and the stories they shared. She listened without judgement and gave people her full attention. Her customers were incredibly loyal. Many returned to see her long after their hospital stay had ended, some travelling considerable distances just for a haircut and a visit. Over the years, many of her customers came to value her not only as their hairstylist, but as their friend and unofficial therapist.

Susan lived a life defined not by recognition, but by the countless acts of kindness and care that filled her days. She left the people and places she touched a little better than she found them. If a life is measured by the love it gives and the difference it makes in the lives of others, Susan’s was extraordinary. She will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and carried forward in the hearts and lives of all who were fortunate enough to know her. 

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honour Susan’s memory through an act of kindness, a phone call to someone you love, or time spent making a meaningful memory with family and friends.