SUSAN L. LEBUFFE

Susan was a shining light and a fantastic wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, teacher and friend.

Susan Linda Myers LeBuffe was born on January 6, 1953 in Philadelphia, PA and died on May 16, 2021 in The Woodlands, TX.

With mother Janet and younger sister Jill, Susan grew up moving frequently due to her father’s managerial position at Gulf Oil. Gulf shuffled the Myers family from Philadelphia, to Wilmington, Delaware, to Syracuse and twice to Pittsburgh. Perhaps these moves fostered Susan’s evident confidence and ability to thrive in many situations.

Susan was an extraordinary deaf and special education teacher. From the day in high school she volunteered at a school for special kids, she knew her calling was to teach, help and guide special students and their families.

Susan received her BA in Special Ed from Glassboro College (now Rowan University) in New Jersey and her Master’s degree in Deaf Education from Western Maryland College (now McAdams University). She thrived as a teacher, improved kids’ lives, and was a leader who used to tell her fellow teachers, “If we can’t have fun at work, why bother?” Her colleagues, in turn, would say of her when she was not in the room or after she retired, “What would Susan do?”

Fluent in sign language, Susan taught deaf children aged three though five at the Sterck School for the Deaf for five years in Newark, Delaware. After she moved to Texas, Susan was a muchloved substitute teacher. She then was a full time Special Ed teacher for over a decade each at Settlers Way Elementary in Sugar Land and at Barbara Bush Elementary in

The Woodlands. She was a dynamic force who poured language into kids with little language, helped many special children learn to read, and developed social skills in hundreds of her students. She had a rare ability to analyze the needs of children and find ways not just to reach them, but to bring them to levels of learning that many would not have thought possible. She focused on what kids could do, and did not dwell on what they could not do.

In the fall of 1975 Susan met colleague Jim LeBuffe in her first-year teaching. They hit it off immediately and were married in 1977.

Susan was rarely at rest. She was a whirlwind, an amazingly effective teacher, a voracious reader, a frequent shopper, a daily walker, a caring and connected mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend, and a keeper of a sparkling home that was decorated cleverly for the season. She was a skilled planner, loved to follow weather forecasts and thus always knew when to pack a raincoat.

She loved to travel and enjoyed dozens of trips to Europe, the Caribbean and throughout the U.S. with her family of four and later with husband Jim. Whether on a cruise through Scandinavia, a drive across France or a trip to the Grand Canyon, the vacations were well planned and great fun. Among her family, she was famous for her index cards, one for each day, outlining activities for that date on that trip.

Susan is survived by her husband Jim, her son Alex LeBuffe, wife Jill, and their children Liam, Grant and Oliver, her daughter Stephanie Morris, husband Tom Morris and their children Vivian and Brandon. Susan leaves behind mother Janet Myers and is pre-deceased by father Edger W. Myers. She leaves behind sister Jill Myers, her husband Kevin Risley, and children Jessica and Stephen, along with Jessica’s husband

Colton Candler and children Henry and Ben. All live in the Greater Houston area.

Numerous brothers and sisters in law, cousins, nephews and nieces also mourn her loss. Susan had many dear friends in her life, but we must mention three: Pat Grisham, Leslye Feinberg and Shari Schulz. Her departure leaves a hole in all of our hearts.

Susan fought a valiant, fifteen-month, noncomplaining battle with cancer that used many of the resources available from MD Anderson.

Contributions in her name may be made to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, the Montgomery County Animal Shelter, or a charity of your choice.

A memorial service will be held at Forest Park The Woodlands on Saturday June 5, 2021 at noon.