2023 Stouffville Honouree
Susan Tucker moved to Stouffville with her husband John in 1991. Together they have three daughters, all born and raised there. The family loves the town and the people who live there and are proud to call Stouffville their home.
Susan has been volunteering and helping others for as long as she can recall. She says that it’s just in her, it’s what she does, which is why this quote by Pablo Picasso resonates with her so much.
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."
She has definitely found her many gifts and embodies this sentiment deeply.
For well over thirty years, Susan has been contributing in a myriad of ways, always quietly and behind the scenes. However, three higher profile public projects have put Susan a little more in the forefront lately. Truth be told, she says if she could do them under the radar she would, but these are community initiatives where she needs people to get involved. These ventures include the Adopt-a-Senior campaign, the Stouffville (Clock Tower) Poppy Project, and the Stouffville Market.
Susan has run a large community Facebook group for the town called the Stouffville Bulletin. It’s for all things community related such as news, events, announcements, happenings, help needed, help offered, and so on. Reflecting on the last few years and some of the good she saw evolve out of difficult times, it truly warmed her heart when she would witness someone post in the group that they had something to offer to those in need. People offered to shovel driveways, run errands, get groceries, pick up packages, drive to appointments, drive to get vaccinated, and more—all these things we would normally do for ourselves but in many cases couldn’t at the time due to restrictions. The community of Stouffville really came together. Susan knows this happened in other towns and cities all over the world, but when it was visible in her community, it was really impactful and wonderful to see.
There have been so many memorable moments in Susan’s journey, big and small, but mostly it’s the smile and the thankyous that stand out and have real meaning for her. She will always do what she does regardless of any acknowledgement, although the words of appreciation and thoughtful awards like Portraits of Giving certainly add a touching and special sweetness.
Susan believes that all of life’s experiences help shape us; she has dealt with major losses and major wins, and she has chosen to learn from everything she’s been through in hopes to use her experiences in a positive way.