Susan Mansfield Bartlett

Susan Mansfield Bartlett, 75, passed away Saturday morning, April 10, 2021, from cancer, at her residence in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Susan was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on November 21, 1945. She graduated from University High School in Lexington and the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.

After starting her work in Speech Pathology in Asheville, North Carolina, Susan accepted a position in St. Louis, Missouri, where she married Hugh Bartlett. They moved to San Diego, California, to fulfill Hugh’s Naval service, then they settled in Rolla, Missouri, where their children Cabot and Rachel were born.

Susan broadened her Speech Pathology work, coordinating the early childhood program Parents as Teachers (PAT) in the Rolla Public Schools, later serving as a Missouri state trainer as well as coordinator for the PAT national center.

At 14, Susan was confirmed in the Episcopal Church. In her adult life, Susan filled numerous service and leadership roles in the church and, in 2002, she entered the Episcopal School for Ministry in the Diocese of Missouri. In 2006, Susan was ordained to the Diaconate.

Widely known was Susan’s Franciscan love of animals. She was owner to many dogs and staff to many cats, any which could guarantee her temporary refuge just by appearing lost in the road. Susan’s animal rescues made her known by name at the local Humane Society, found numerous abandoned animals homes, and narrowly avoided making her a class D felon.

Whether throwing a party or helping an individual feel welcome in her home, another of Susan’s hallmarks was her hospitality. This was always served with an ounce of wisdom on topics ranging from how to wear a bathing suit, how to set expectations on a date, how to properly season a dish, and financial independence. In 2019, Susan moved her home to Pittsboro to be closer to her immediate family (mostly her grandson).

Susan is survived by her son Hugh Cabot (Alexia) Bartlett, Jr., of Williamsburg, Virginia, her daughter Rachel Moulton Bartlett of Durham, North Carolina, her sister Carolyn Mansfield (Ernest) Clarke of Pittsboro, North Carolina, the father of her children Hugh Cabot (Jane) Bartlett of Rolla, Missouri, and grandson Hugh Cabot Bartlett III of Williamsburg, Virginia. Susan was preceded in death by her brother Paul Houston (Janet) Mansfield, Jr.

In August there will be a private memorial for family and close friends only at Susan’s favorite vacation site, Pawleys Island, South Carolina. All memorials are listed by Donaldson Funeral Home in Pittsboro. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Susan’s honor to the Humane Society of the United States, the Episcopal Church, Parents as Teachers, or Trinity Episcopal Church (St. James, Missouri).