Susan Ellen Beck

Windsor, VT – Susan Ellen Beck, 86, of Windsor, VT, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, after a brief illness.

She was born in New Haven, CT, on January 31, 1940, the youngest of five children of Sigmond F. Beck and Lydia E. (Gherlone) Beck. Susan grew up in Madison and Hamden, CT, and graduated from Hamden High School before attending cosmetology school.

Susan raised her daughters in Killingworth, CT, where she volunteered for many of their activities, including 4-H and the Brownies. She was also active in the community as a member of the Lions Club and the Killingworth Library. She later lived in Chester, CT, before moving to Vermont in 1995 to be near her grandson, Jordan.

Susan worked for many years as a clerk at the Norwich Post Office, where she met and fell in love with John Smith of Newbury, VT. They remained devoted to one another for many years, including after Susan moved to Staten Island in 2003 and later to New Jersey in 2005 to help care for her grandchildren, Myles and Kevin. When her health began to decline, she returned to Vermont in 2024 to live at Cedar Hill Continuing Care Community in Windsor, VT.

Susan was a lifelong artist and avid craftsperson. She worked in many different media, most often oil and watercolor painting, stamp carving, embroidery, sewing, and quilting. She was especially known for making teddy bears, many of which were displayed at the post offices where she worked and featured in local news articles. Her family and friends always looked forward to receiving her handmade cards, inspired by holidays and other special occasions throughout the year.

She was also a knowledgeable and passionate gardener who loved birds, but her heart never left the beach where she grew up. Even when she lived far from the shore, she always kept her treasured collection of sea glass to remind her of long walks along the beach.

Susan was also the heart and matriarch of her family, bringing everyone together through her love of Italian cooking and shared meals around the table. She passed along not only treasured family recipes, but also a lifelong appreciation for good food, tradition, and time spent together. Her passion for Italian cuisine inspired members of her family to travel to Italy themselves to take cooking classes similar to those she once enjoyed, continuing a legacy of love, learning, and connection through food.

Susan is survived by her loving family, including her daughters, Elizabeth Mihalyak Columbo of Manalapan, NJ, and Laura Stillson of West Windsor, VT; her grandchildren, Myles Columbo, Kevin Columbo, and Jordan Hamilton and his wife Allyson; her great-granddaughter, Madeline (“Maddie”) Hamilton; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her brothers and sisters-in-law, Calvin S. and Audrey Beck, and Collis H. and Lorraine (“Lori”) Beck; her sister, Lois (Beck) Phillips, and her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy (Beck) and Wilbur Wogahn.

She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Condolences to Susan’s family may be shared in the online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com.

We will gather to celebrate her life this summer at a time to be announced, and burial will be at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Susan’s memory may be made to the Montshire Museum, 1 Montshire Rd., Norwich, VT 05055 https://montshire.org/support/ or to the Scholarship Fund at the Ava Gallery and Art Center, 11 Bank Street, Lebanon, NH 03766 at https://www.avagallery.org/give.