Susan Kathleen Woods Cropper celebrated her uniqueness whenever anyone asked her age. She'd sometimes hint: "You have had as many birthdays as your age; my case is different." She was a leap day baby, born on February 29, 1944. Aside from her birthday, she experienced a normal upbringing of the baby boom generation. Her father, Jack Woods, was a World War II veteran and a prominent Nevada insurance agent. Susan's mother, Vivian Doy Maurer, was an accomplished artist, a columnist for two Las Vegas newspapers and a homemaker. Susan attended John S. Park Elementary School just down the street from her home. For a time in the 1950s, all four members of her family were in uniform: Her father was an officer in the Nevada Army National Guard; her mother served as a Girl Scout leader; her brother, Donald, was a Cub Scout, and Susan was a Girl Scout in her mother's troop. Susan attended Las Vegas High School where she excelled in French, choir, drama, and band. In band she learned to play the string bass, but during marching season, she switched to cymbals. She eventually wanted something smaller than the string bass, so she changed to the flute--the smallest instrument in the band. She continued playing the flute and piccolo in the Incomparable Cougar Marching Band at Brigham Young University. Her strongest subject in high school may have been French. She became confident enough to translate for celebrities who came to Las Vegas to perform at the big hotels and who came to her dad for insurance. During her senior year at LVHS, Susan joined the LDS (Mormon) Church. She had close friends who were LDS and they inspired her to accept the missionary discussions. After her baptism, at age 18, she decided to attend Brigham Young University. After her first year at the Y, she was chosen to participate in the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, New York. This experience inspired her to serve a mission. She was called to the Northeast British Mission where she served from March 22, 1965 to September 22, 1966. Following her mission, she returned to her studies at BYU. In 1968, as a university junior, she decided to participate in the Semester Abroad Program to France to improve her French. It was here she met Cordell, initially introducing herself to him as Suzanne Bois (bois is French for woods). They dated in France and continued dating after returning to Utah. They were engaged during the 1968 Christmas season. They married May 28, 1969, the day before graduating from BYU. Susan graduated with a teaching degree in French and English with a minor in Music. Corry entered their lives in March of 1970 while the young couple was living in Texas where Cordell was stationed with the US Army. (Today Corry lives with his family in Provo, UT where he is a French professor at BYU). Corry and Susan traveled to Panama to be with Cordell after he transferred. Susan loved to talk and would talk with anyone. So while in Panama, she learned Spanish to communicate with her neighbors. They were asked to transfer their membership from the English-speaking Canal Zone branch to the Spanish-speaking Panama City Branch. Here Susan was called as the Primary president and also as branch chorister. They then moved to Lakeshore, Utah for Cordell to attend graduate school at BYU. In September, 1972 they were blessed with another son: Colin (Today he works as an investment banker in New York City where he resides with his family). After moving to Nampa in 1973--where the family moved so Cordell could begin his teaching career--Susan joined a singing group called "Majors and Minors." She enjoyed performing with the group and sang with them for several years. She also enjoyed substitute teaching for the Nampa School District and especially for Cordell's Spanish, French and German language classes when needed. Susan excelled at sewing. Once disgusted by the high cost of tuxedo rental she made tuxes for both of her boys so they wouldn't have to rent them for prom. Over the years she sewed many things and shared this talent often with others, making clothing for members of her family, costumes for plays, and even puppets and dolls for her children and grandchildren. Shalee was born in 1985 and Shantal in 1987. Shalee is an RN and lives with her family in Mechanicsville, VA and Shantal is a dance teacher and lives with her family in Kennewick, WA. Two little girls and two teenager boys were a full-time responsibility for Susan for many years. They were the joy of her life. There was a thirteen year difference between Colin and Shalee. Susan loved to travel. She returned to her mission, England, many times. She also toured Australia and New Zealand, all of Central America, all but two of the United States, and many countries in South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. She never lost her optimism and took an immediate interest in new and different things. Susan has been active in her Church since her conversion. In 2010-2011, she served a mission with Cordell in New York City. She loved to tell people that her favorite service project on that mission was tending her grandchildren (her son Colin and his family live in Battery Park in lower Manhattan). During this mission she taught young single adults from Brooklyn to the Bronx in both Spanish and English. Back in Idaho, she continued as an active participant in the Nampa Spanish ward--serving as the humanitarian specialist, ward chorister, English as a Second Language teacher, family history consultant and a temple worker. If you ever attended a meeting when she conducted music, you know that she never hid her enthusiasm. Susan loved her family, had strong faith in God, and believed in helping everyone. She was never hesitant to share her beliefs whenever possible with anyone willing to listen. She welcomed everyone into her home and into her life, no matter what, however, she always had a special place in her heart for people who, like her until 2016, were under 18. Susan loved her family very much. One of her greatest joys is that the family has remained united in purpose and faith (3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth). Her husband and both of her daughters were at her bedside when she died.
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