Suzanne Ruth Faulkner II
December 22, 1961 - August 3, 2021

 

Durham, North Carolina - After a two-year battle with esophageal cancer, Suzanne passed away with her family by her side. A 1980 graduate of Jackson (NJ) Memorial High School, Suzanne was All-County in Track & Field and an excellent gymnast who finished 5th in the States in balance beam. She graduated from James Madison University (1985) with a concentration in Theatre and NC State University (2003) with a Master of Education degree in Special Education. She was a member of the honor society of Phi Delta Kappa, whose purpose is to promote quality education – with an emphasis on universally available public education.

Suzanne was a top-notch waitress for twenty years where she valued side work and teamwork. She then became a teacher through and through. Suzanne impacted people with her careful attention to the body, the heart, and the mind. She impacted countless souls by giving of herself and standing up for her students. Suzanne taught adolescents how to read and think, most notably at Orange Charter School and Riverside High School, and adults how to change their lives through daily habit.

 

An AMSAT certified Alexander Technique (AT) teacher, Suzanne studied under Ruth Kilroy in Boston. When asked recently to write her own biography for her quotes and contribution to a book chapter on yoga and the alexander technique, Suzanne wrote: "…mother of chihuahuas, she has been doing, practicing, experiencing, and teaching yoga and AT for thirty years. She is the head coach and head cheerleader of Ashtanga Yoga Club Durham. Her superpowers are back-bending, mending, metaphors, chopped salad, and sleeping. She lives in the formerly sleepy town of Durham, NC with her family of origin and choice." Suzanne will be deeply missed by all who knew her. She gave of herself tirelessly and had a passion and penchant for finding the superpowers in others by seeing people clearly and believing in each person's potential. Show up, track your time, keep doing that every day. She also wore the same pair of blue jeans every day her senior year in high school- just to see what would happen - and was known for her joyful sartorial daring: "If you like it, it matches."

Suzanne is pre-deceased by her mother Frances Ramona Rawhouser Faulkner, her father Thomas George Faulkner, and her aunt and namesake Sister Suzanne Ruth Faulkner of the Sisters of Charity. Suzanne is survived by her husband Nikos Chremos, her brother Jeff Faulkner and niece Sabine Callahan, her sister and sister-in-law Valerie Faulkner and Jennifer Smith, and her mother-in-law and sister-in-law Barbara and Asimina Chremos. A celebration of Suzanne's life will be held outdoors and under a pavilion on September 5th at 4-7pm at The Pavilion at Nicks Road, 6602 Nicks Road, Mebane, NC. This will be an open event celebrating Suzanne's life with pictures, writing, and artifacts. Selected speakers and music from 5:30-6:15pm. Parking is limited, please carpool. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to BookHarvest.org or the Animal Protection Society: APSofDurham.org