Susan Lydon
Susan Lydon–beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and artist–died peacefully on June 11, surrounded by family and friends. She was 74.
Born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, on March 10, 1951, Susan Margaret Baker was raised in Toronto by her parents, Helen and Chester Baker. The family spent two years of her childhood in Cambridge, England, before moving to Boston, Massachusetts, followed by Van Nuys, before settling in Santa Barbara, California in 1965. Susan graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1968 (Once a Don, Always a Don!) before attending Santa Barbara City College.
One day in 1972 Susan’s roommate set her up on a blind date. She met Terry Lydon. They were married in Santa Barbara on September 20, 1975. They moved to the Mesa and had three children. In 1990, the family moved to the Lake Los Carneros neighborhood of Goleta, where she and Terry lived for 30 years, before relocating to the Westside in 2020.
Susan spoke of a challenging childhood contributing to a life dedicated to creating stability for her children and others. Mothering became her vocation.
The Lydon family camped frequently throughout the western U.S. Among Susan’s favorite stops was an annual trip to the YMCA family camp at Lake Sequoia, giving her children precious memories of campfire skits and s’mores in a tradition that lasted more than 20 years. Susan and Terry also loved Catalina Island, after they were introduced to Avalon by her dear friend Cheryl Long. The Lydons returned many times, inviting their children’s friends and eventually hosting their grandchildren.
Susan was active in local schools, serving in leadership roles in the PTAs of Washington and La Patera Elementary Schools, as well as Goleta Valley Junior High and Dos Pueblos High School. She also worked for the Goleta Union School District for more than 25 years, as a teacher’s aide and a friendly face managing the lunch line at La Patera, Foothill, and Elwood Schools. She connected with a group of moms from La Patera School with same-aged children, and they had monthly dinners together for decades.
Susan became a fixture at First Presbyterian Church. She was an elder and a deacon. She volunteered with the children’s ministries and worked as the wedding coordinator. Susan loved planning weddings and helping couples prepare to walk down the aisle.
Susan was creative. She loved baking and decorating birthday cakes with her grandchildren. She made their Christmas stockings. Among her favorite memories was participating in a weekly painting group. You can find many of her original paintings lining the walls of her home and the homes of her family members.
As a couple, Susan and Terry especially enjoyed cruises and visited Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the British Isles this way. Their youngest daughter moved to the United Kingdom in 2014 to raise her family, and Susan was thrilled to return to England several times to visit her granddaughters.
In 2020 Susan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which was devastating for the whole family. Though we take comfort that she is at peace from a difficult disease, we will miss her terribly. Susan is survived by her husband of 49.5 years, Terry; son Matthew; daughters, Stacey and Jeanette; daughter-in-law Raychel; sons-in-law, Matthew and Jack, and grandchildren Ian, Samara, Evan, Sabrina, Evelyn, Elizabeth, Harrison, and a baby on the way. She is also survived by her brother, Steve, and sisters-in-law, Sherry and Ildiko, as well as her nephews and niece.
A celebration of life will be held on July 12 at 1:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara (21 E. Constance Avenue), followed by a reception. We invite everyone to wear Susan’s favorite color, blue, to help us celebrate and honor her life. Memorial contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
