Obituary: Susan Mary (Targett) Sexton, 83, of Guilford

Obituary courtesy of Guilford Funeral Home:

Susan Mary (Targett) Sexton, mother, grandmother, gardener, adventurer, thrift store shopper, songstress, and overall fine lady, died peacefully on June 23, 2022, at CT Hospice in Branford. In addition to a legacy of loyal and adoring pets and a lifetime of fabulous friendships, Susan leaves behind her children, Rachel (Leslie) and John (Kelli), and three grandchildren (Finn, Oliver, Ian). Predeceased by her husband, William Sexton, Susan is survived by her partner and soulmate, Sanford McCann, and her cousins, Judith Coward, Shelagh (Colin) Norgate, and Andrew (Joan) Knight.

Born to Harry and Mary Targett on November 3, 1938, Susan grew up in London, England, where she played competitive tennis and learned through post-war rationing that every penny mattered. She received her undergraduate degree from Durham University and, seeking adventure, crossed the pond to get her graduate degree from Indiana University. There she met and married William Sexton, an undergraduate theater major and soon-to-be pastor in the United Church of Christ.

Together Bill and Susan served in churches abroad, first to Newark-on-Trent, England, where they had their first child, Rachel, and then to Brussels, Belgium, where they had their second, John. Then it was back to the US where they settled in the Nutmeg State for the duration, building community and fellowship in the congregations of Waterbury, Stamford and Vernon.

After Bill’s passing in 1998, Susan moved to the shoreline, finding a new life in Guilford. In her many years in CT, Susan worked for Planned Parenthood, the Stamford Counseling Center, the Council of Churches and Synagogues, and, after earning a second masters degree in her mid-50s, as a bereavement counselor at CT Hospice.

Susan, also known as “Sasa” to her three grandsons, Ian, Finn and Oliver, was a little bit of magic to all who knew her. She met every day with song and every lousy circumstance with quiet optimism: “It’s fine,” she’d say. She believed deeply that animals are underestimated, that generics are just as good as brand names, that the only necessary TV is PBS and Jeopardy, and that books should be read quickly and often. She laughed a lot with her friends and was always present and supportive for the less funny parts of life. She stuck with a husband who sometimes made sticking hard, and hit almost all the mothering parts out of the park. And wherever she went, she created spaces that felt immediately like home for anyone who spent time in them. Five days before passing, lying peacefully in her hospice bed looking out on the Long Island Sound, Susan was asked how she was doing. She smiled and said, “Other than the dying part, I’m fine.”

Friends may call Thursday, June 30th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford (www.guilfordfuneralhome.com). A Celebration of Susan’s Life will be held Saturday, July 30th at 10 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 11 Park Street, Guilford. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to preserve the Olmstead Outlook through the Guilford Land Preservation Trust (www.guilfordlandtrust.org) or to CT Hospice (www.hospice.com).