Susan Marie MacNeil, a devoted community leader, advocate, and beloved matriarch, passed away unexpectedly at her home in Bellows Falls, Vermont, on January 10 at the age of 72. She leaves behind a remarkable legacy of compassion, service, creativity, and fierce love for the people and causes that mattered most to her.

Susan was born on July 21, 1953, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Jean and Charles MacNeil. In 1959, her family moved to Coventry, Connecticut, where she was raised and attended local schools. Even at a young age, Susan stood out for her intellect and enthusiasm for life. She excelled academically, was an avid and lifelong reader, and brought energy and spirit to everything she did, including her role on the cheerleading squad.

Susan later made her home in Keene, New Hampshire, where she became deeply rooted in the community, before eventually settling in Bellows Falls, Vermont. No matter where she lived, Susan showed up fully and generously, believing that communities are strengthened when people commit themselves to one another.

Her professional life was defined by public service and fearless advocacy. For decades, Susan dedicated herself to nonprofit, arts, health, and civic organizations throughout New England. She was especially committed to supporting individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS, working during a time when stigma and fear often kept others at a distance. Susan approached this work with humanity, dignity, and persistence, ensuring that those most marginalized were seen, respected, and cared for.

After moving to the Keene area in the late 1980s, Susan held countless leadership roles—some paid, many volunteer, all undertaken with the same devotion. She served as PTA President at both Franklin and Marlow Elementary Schools, later becoming an Executive Board Member of the New Hampshire State PTA Association. At Keene State College, she served as Vice Chair and then Chair of the Operating StaA Council, earning recognition as a KSC Outstanding Employee.

Susan’s love for the arts and community connection led her to roles as Director of Marketing and later Interim Executive Director of the Colonial Theatre. In 2000, she became Executive Director of AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region, a position she held until 2008 and again from 2009 until the organization merged in 2014. During her tenure, she created and nurtured beloved fundraising and community-building events, including Just Desserts, Keene Karaoke IDOL, and later Southern Vermont IDOL— programs that brought joy, talent, and togetherness from across New England.

One of Susan’s most meaningful contributions was her work bringing panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to local communities each year for World AIDS Day. First encountering the quilt in Washington, D.C., in 1996, Susan often said that seeing it in person was life-changing. That experience became a catalyst for her lifelong commitment to AIDS advocacy and remembrance.

Susan also worked with the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church and the 100 Nights Shelter before relocating to Bellows Falls in 2015, where she joined Landmark College. She quickly immersed herself in civic life, lending her experience to Keene Pride and Bellows Falls Pride, helping these organizations navigate challenges and grow stronger. Even after a work-related accident in 2022 limited her physical abilities, Susan continued to advocate, promote events, and support others however she could.

She served as a Bellows Falls Village Trustee, was active with the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project and Rockingham for Progress, and championed the preservation of the historic Miss Bellows Falls Diner. Susan also hosted a local television talk show, provided voiceovers for commercials, acted in local theater, wrote screenplays, published books, and volunteered wherever help was needed. If a cause was underserved or difficult, Susan stepped forward.

At the heart of Susan’s life was family. She was a devoted mother to her son and a fiercely proud grandmother to her granddaughter, whom she loved with intensity and purpose. She was a loving sister, a cherished aunt, and a constant presence in the lives of her extended family. Susan deeply admired her mother and credited her with instilling the compassion, generosity, and strength that guided her life.

Susan cared for her mother through the end of her life, an experience that profoundly shaped her advocacy around end-of-life care. After her mother’s passing in 2022, Susan wrote and self-published 18 Minutes: A Daughter’s Primer on Life & Death, inspired by the final moments they shared. She went on to advocate for amplified phones in hospital rooms and created a traveling workshop, Life, Death and Cake—Preparing for a Good Death, helping others navigate end-of-life planning with honesty and grace.

Susan’s sense of family extended far beyond blood. She cultivated a wide “found family” of friends, colleagues, artists, and neighbors who relied on her loyalty, encouragement, and unwavering care. On her refrigerator was a bumper sticker that read, “And what difference did you make today?” When asked about it, Susan simply said, “That’s really how I’ve lived my life.”

Susan is survived by her brothers, Bill MacNeil of Sebring, Florida; Donald MacNeil and his wife, Debbie of North Windham, Connecticut; and Bruce MacNeil and his wife, Betsy of Keene, New Hampshire; her son, Justin Ellsworth of Bedford, New Hampshire; her granddaughter, Kiyah Dannan Glenn-Ellsworth of Keene, New Hampshire; and several nieces, a nephew, and grandnieces, all of whom will forever cherish the light she brought into their lives.

Public calling hours will be held on January 23 from 4:00–6:00 PM at Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, Vermont. All are invited to gather afterward for food and drink beginning at 6:00 PM at Ciao Popolo, 36 The Square, Bellows Falls, Vermont.

Susan MacNeil lived her life by showing up—with compassion, courage, kindness, and conviction. Her difference was immense, and her legacy will continue in every life she touched.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT.