Susan Bernbeck (née Spain)
Rochester, NY – Susan passed away peacefully on June 28, 2025, aged 78.
Born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio, on December 28, 1946, to Eugene and Marguerite Spain, Susan met her beloved late husband, James ‘Bern’ Bernbeck, at University of Rio Grande in Ohio, where she was awarded Best Dressed Co-ed, a fitting accolade for a young woman with a keen eye for interior design and fashion. The couple later moved to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where Susan continued her education at Nazarene College, earning a B.A. in Public Relations & Communications.
In the early years of her career, Susan supported the Kenyon College Festival Theatre in Gambier, Ohio. Passionate about education, she led a highly successful PTA initiative which resulted in ground-breaking ‘After-School Mini-Courses’ for young elementary students, focusing on subjects such as arts, crafts and cooking, receiving huge acclaim for its positive impact, as well as meaningful reforms within the Mount Vernon school district.
During the 1980s-90s, they lived in Pittsford, New York, where Susan became the welcoming face of the dental practice of Dr. Cheryl Kelley, working as a receptionist for many years. She cherished being part of a supportive and tightly-knit team. Subsequently, Susan and Bern moved to Kansas City. Eventually, they both retired and settled in Canandaigua, New York.
Susan will be remembered for her love of lively conversation, her signature whistle as she went about her daily routine, and for the joy she found in travelling to Hawaii, Vermont, Florida, and France with Bern and their dear friends, Bill and Kathy White. Susan maintained life-long friendships regardless of where she lived.
She is survived by her daughters, Shannon Brean and Kelly Hail; her sons-in-law, Berkeley Brean and David Hail; her grandchildren, ‘Lil’ Berkeley Brean, and Alex and Rory Hail; her brother, David Spain; and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank Cathy Viola, Anne LaClair and Joanne Sciarratta for their friendship, love and care of Susan.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Heart, Love & Soul, 939 Ontario Avenue, Niagara Falls, New York 14305.
www.heartloveandsoul.org
A private service will be held in Susan’s memory at a later date.