PORTLAND –

Susan “Susie” Noonan
Perry, 80, of Portland, passed away on July 8, 2022. Susie died peacefully in her beloved home in Portland, with her family by her side. Born in Brockton, Mass., daughter of Gertrude and Laurence Noonan.

Susie was in the last class of Ursuline Academy to graduate from their Boston campus. She graduated from The College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, and began her teaching career as a lay apostle teacher in St. Helena, Calif. In 1968, Susie joined the Falmouth, Mass., school system where she taught special needs for 29 years, retiring in 1997. Susie was a gifted teacher who always found the good in each of her students, helped them build their self-esteem, thus leading them to a desire to learn. Many a container of ice cream was lost to an impromptu “parent /teacher conference” at the local Stop & Shop where Susie would selflessly give her time to any of her students’ parents.

Susie spent all of her early summers with her large family at New Silver Beach in North Falmouth, Mass., where she made many life-long friends and memories. She lived in Falmouth, Mass. for many years, and always said she was one of the first “from the beach” to stay on the Cape year-round. After a long courtship, Susie and David married in 1987 and lived in Pocasset, Mass. before moving full time to Portland Maine in the late ’90s.

Susie had a passion for dogs, usually numerous at any time, sailing the Coast of Maine and around Cape Cod with David in their beloved “Frolic”, Woody Beach Wagons, their log cabin on Mt. Kearsarge in New Hampshire, and most of all, good times with her large contingent of friends and family. Susie had a radiant smile, an infectious personality, and she was loved by all who knew her.

Susie was predeceased by her parents Gertrude and Laurence Noonan; her sisters-in-law, Marjorie Noonan, Karen Noonan, and Mary Perry; and her nephew, Michael Noonan.

She is survived by her loving husband of 34 years, David Perry. She is also survived by her sister, Alice Hart and husband Bob of Charlestown, Mass. and Falmouth, Mass., brother J. Peter Noonan of North Falmouth, Mass., brother J. Timothy Noonan and his wife Bonnie of Duxbury, Mass., brother Laurence Noonan Jr. and his wife Luzann of North Easton, Mass. and North Falmouth, Mass., and brother-in-law, Dean Perry of Hudson, Fla.; as well as many nieces and nephews and their children.

Our special thanks to all of Susie’s family, and especially her sister, Alice and her niece, Heather Noonan for all of their extra loving care of Susie over these recent years. And to all of the sincere staff of Northern Light Hospice in Portland for their help, allowing Susie to remain home through to her passing.

Visitation will take place on Friday, July 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Chapman Funerals and Cremations, 584 West Falmouth Highway, West Falmouth, Mass. A Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, July 16, at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 481 Quaker Rd., North Falmouth, Mass. Burial will follow at North Falmouth Cemetery, 155 Old Main Rd., North Falmouth, Mass.

For online guestbook and directions visit http://www.chapmanfuneral.com.

In lieu of flowers,

memorial donations to

Friends of Falmouth Dogs, Falmouth, Mass. (www.friendsoffalmouthdogs.org) or Memphis Area Golder Retriever Rescue, Memphis, Tenn. (www.magrr.org)

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