Mary Susan Whitt, 68, of Henrico County, passed away on August 20, 2024. She was the daughter of Mary Eloise Long and Walter “Mac” Maxwell Whitt.
Mary Susan was born in Richmond and grew up on the family farm in Beulahville. She joined Beulah Baptist Church at age 9, spent several summers with her aunt Dot in Severn, NC, and enjoyed taking piano lessons. She attended King William Elementary School and Aylett Country Day School. She graduated from West Point High School, Virginia Tech (BS), and Colorado State (MS).
Mary Susan was a certified public accountant and worked in academia and industry throughout her career. She moved to Russia in 1995 to serve with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship until 1998.
Mary Susan was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2015, despite never smoking. In her words, she did not fight the disease, but rather lived with it for nine years. She determinedly went through many clinical trials despite the distance and significant side effects. She enjoyed travel, genealogy, music, singing, thrifting, gardening, and dancing. Her faith in God and positive spirit were strong. She was overjoyed by the births of each of her four grandchildren, and made numerous road trips to visit them all, even during the uncertainty of 2020. She lovingly knitted many sweaters, hats, and socks for them.
Mary Susan greatly valued her friends and family. She was the coordinator of family get-togethers and keeping everyone in touch. She made many cherished friendships in every place she lived, including Virginia, New Hampshire, and Russia, as well as in the cancer support community. She always loved cats and was recently preceded in death by her beloved 18-year-old cat, Zoë. She particularly enjoyed coffee mornings with her dear friends in Ashland.
She is survived by her daughter, Rachel Mulheren, and Rachel’s husband, Gabriel Cooper; her son, John Mulheren, and John’s wife, Courtney; her grandchildren, Mirah, Ian, Ezra, and Elise; her brothers, Harry and David Whitt; and a host of other relatives and friends.
A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. and August 24, 2024, at Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery in Aylett, VA.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. Please test and remediate your home for radon gas, the silent killer.
