We honor our loving, crazy, funny and spirited Susan "Susie" Darr Blackburn, who lived a full and beautiful life. A woman with a heart of gold who never met a stranger, she was always ready and willing to help others, while asking little in return.

Born October 1, 1948, in Thomasville, NC, to Clarence Arthur Darr and Ila Agnes (McGee) Darr.  The daughter of tobacco farmers, she spent many summers pulling crops alongside her brothers and sisters, reminiscing often about those long, hot days. Susan was the youngest of eight, a fact which she never let anyone forget.  She is survived by her sisters Lorraine (Darr) Jordan, Louise (Darr) Jones, Faye (Darr) Everhart, Kay (Darr) Palmer, and twin brother, Steve Darr, sisters-in-law, Sharon Darr and Mary Grace Darr, and was preceded in death by her brothers Clarence Ray Darr and Harry Lee Darr.

A 1966 graduate of East Davidson High School, Susan was the type of person to be able to float among groups, being gregarious and outgoing, called a "ray of sunshine" by friends new and old. After graduation, she attended Forsyth Community College, receiving her LPN in 1967. After working at Baptist Hospital, she moved to Wilmington to pursue her RN degree at Wilmington College (UNCW). Throughout the span of her career, she worked at New Hanover Regional Medical Center and the New Hanover County Health Department, where she met many of her lifelong friends. She also spent years working in Home Health with several agencies throughout New Hanover County. Always eager to learn and share her knowledge, she transitioned to working in medical coding and became a coding instructor at Cape Fear Community College. She ended her career, at the time of her leukemia diagnosis, in industrial health.

Susan was a lifelong learner and she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University in 2021 at the age of 72.  She saw this as one of her greatest professional accomplishments.

While she spent so much of her life helping, serving, and giving to others, her greatest joys were being a mother to Allison Blackburn Collins and a grandmother to Abigael Grace Collins and Sean Padraic Collins. A single mother, Susan adored her daughter and grandchildren and taught them to live a life full of laughter, integrity, loyalty, adventure, and compassion for others. She loved her family. She was our hero, a great mother, sister, aunt, daughter, and most importantly, friend.  Her family and friends were so important to Susan and she leaves behind so many amazing connections. Our hearts are breaking.

Her daughter and grandchildren would like to acknowledge and thank so many of you for supporting Susan throughout her battle with AML.  They would especially like to acknowledge the following friends and relatives for their dedication, time, and loving support of Susan during the past eight months:  Tommie Lynne Oppegaard, Celeste Roberson Smith, Jean Matthews, Texie Jessup, Myra Kelly (niece), Steve Darr (brother), Lawrence Bass, and Kay Stanley as well as countless friends from the North Carolina Sorosis Night Department, who have been huge sources of support to both Susan and her family.

Ever the giver, Susan enrolled in a clinical study at the UNC Cancer Hospital, with the hope that the knowledge the medical team gleaned from her treatments would one day help others diagnosed with AML. The family would like to thank the entire team at the UNC Cancer Hospital for their fastidious care and compassion. The family would also like to thank the staff at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare for their compassion and care for Susan in her final days.

Susan was an avid reader and loved history.  She loved researching her family genealogy.  She was a member of the Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk Chapter, NSDAR and was proud to be a part of the Daughters of the Revolution.

Susan was always willing to lend a hand and to pull others up.  These traits led to years of service and activism.  She proudly marched with over 470,000 others at the 2017 Women's March in DC.  She spent years fundraising for and supporting Planned Parenthood.  She was an advocate for human rights and a supporter of those in the LGBTQIA+ community.

A two time cancer survivor, Susan was a fighter; stubborn and strong to the very end.  As one friend stated, "She didn't leave any cards on the table.  She lived life to the fullest."

Funeral services will be held at the Fairview Church, 2976 Old Greensboro Road, Thomasville, NC on Sunday, August 6, 2023.  Visitation from 1:45 to 2:45pm. Funeral services will be at 3pm. The family encourages you to bring photos and share your memories at the service.

A Celebration of Life and Memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 30 at North Carolina Sorosis, 20 Cardinal Drive S, Wilmington, NC from 2-4pm.  The family encourages you to share your photos and memories to celebratingoursusan@gmail.com.

Purple was Susan's favorite color and the family asks that you wear bright colors or purple at her services.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation of blood or platelets to the American Red Cross in Susan's memory by using the following link:  sleevesup.redcrossblood.org/campaign/remembering-susan-blackburn/?publishcampaign=true. You may also make donations to either Planned Parenthood South Atlantic or Lower Cape Fear LifeCare in Susan's memory.

Another way to honor Susan's memory is to live life as she would … Introduce yourself to a stranger, make a new friend, engage others with a smile on your face and in your heart.