Obituary of Susan Hovdestad (1946 - 2026)

With heavy hearts the family of Susan Kaye Hovdestad announces her passing this week, peacefully and with family by her side, following a 2-year journey with cancer. She leaves behind her devoted husband, Arthur, with whom she shared almost 6 decades of marriage; she will be deeply missed.

Susan is survived by her children Jodie (Brian), Wendy (Michael), Randy (Fiona), and Angela (Rob). She will also be missed by her grandchildren Cassandra, Sara, Annabelle, Rebecca, Spencer, and Sylvia. She was preceded in death by her parents William Robert and Jean Boucher. Left to mourn her passing are her brother Robert (Tanis), her sister Vicki (Doug), and many nieces and nephews.

Susan was devoted to family - from an early age to her parents, brother, and cherished little sister, and later to her beloved husband and the four children they raised together. At home there were always homemade meals prepared from the garden, fresh bread in the oven, & cookies in the jar. In her spare time she would crochet beautiful afghans as gifts, or sew child-size dresses for special occasions. Through her example, she modeled the value of hard work, the importance of thrift, and the resilience to adapt when life required a new path.

Susan’s focus extended well beyond her home. She believed strongly in community and in helping those in need. She volunteered in her church and as a Homemaking 4-H leader, and also worked behind the scenes, first supporting the family business, and later as treasurer for her Kanata community. Even after her diagnosis her instinct was to give; she crocheted warm hats for newborns, continuing to care for others in whatever way she could.

She loved to travel with Arthur, and together they explored the world - journeys that took them from a Concorde flight to the North Pole to cruises through the Panama Canal and around Cape Horn, along with many destinations in between. When her own travels came to an end, she found equal joy in hearing about the experiences and travels of her children and grandchildren. Susan was deeply proud of her family. She encouraged each of her children and grandchildren to follow their own paths, carrying forward the values she had lived by, and her legacy is reflected in the lives shaped by her example.

Many thanks to all the medical professionals for their exceptional care of Susan over the past two years, in particular to Dr Vickers and the team at the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre, and the nurses and volunteers at the Ruddy-Shenkman hospice.

Please consider a donation to Hospice Care Ottawa (Ruddy-Shenkman) in memory of Susan.

“If love kept one alive, I’d live forever.”  ~ Susan