Susan O. Cornelison

Susan O. Cornelison, 66, of Lancaster, passed away peacefully at her residence on Saturday, May 20, 2023. She was the loving wife of William G. Cornelison, whom she married on November 14, 1984. Susan was born in Brooklyn, NY on July 3, 1956, and was the daughter of the late Reuben and Geraldine Lane Oliver. Susan was a graduate of Beacon High School in Beacon, NY. She was an LPN in Labor/Delivery and Orthopedics and worked at Butterfield Hospital in Cold Spring, NY and Hepburn Hospital in Ogdensburg, NY. It was during Susan’s time working as an LPN that she met the love of her life, Bill. Susan broke the ice by reading jokes from Truly Tasteless Jokes, and it certainly did the trick as they were together from that day on for the next 40 years. When Susan was no longer able to work, she became a stay-at-home mom and treasured that role more than anything. To know Susan is to love Susan. She was a force with a heart of gold. Her family endearingly nicknamed her “the mayor,” because anywhere Susan went, she made life-long friends. Susan suffered from a myriad of health issues, but she handled any setbacks with such grace and optimism. On days when she was in the most pain, Susan always put others ahead of herself. She always wanted her family happy. Susan was a fighter and one of the most selfless people we have ever known. We are extremely lucky to have the honor of calling Susan a wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend. Susan’s sickness may have limited her physically, but it never limited her love and ability to be there for anyone that needed her. In the times that Susan’s health made it difficult for her to be present with family, she enjoyed watching her favorite prime time shows with her husband. Susan loved marathon phone conversations; she loved being able to stay close with loved ones. Susan was the person you could call at 3PM or 3AM and you knew she would always answer. She loved playing Words with Friends, where her nickname “the mayor” comes to play – people she played with daily, she referred to as friends and in return we have heard countless stories from people that they considered Susan a true friend, all through an app – it’s inspirational how much Susan loved people. She had the biggest heart. This game helped to keep her mind sharp, and her goal was always to be in the top 3 at the end of the week (she accomplished this often!). She loved her soap operas that she called her “stories.” She never missed them. Susan loved to take rides to get ice cream with her husband and her loving dog, Max, who passed away early last year. In addition to her husband, William, Susan will be missed immensely by her daughter Christine A., wife of Carlo Carpentieri of Stoneham, MA, Kathleen A., wife of Joseph DeSimone of Orange, MA, son Alexander R., husband of Traci Cornelison of Manheim, PA, and daughter Alyssa R. Cornelison, partner of Michael Bowles of Herndon, VA, her grandchildren: Sophia, Giuseppe, Antonio, Madison, Kendall, Ella, Lexi and Wyatt. Also, her brothers Scott, husband of Ellen Oliver of Marlboro, NY, Reuben “Buddy” Oliver of Highland, NY; her sisters, Marion “Boo” Oliver of Newburgh, NY and Mary, wife of John Hopper of Highland, NY. Susan was preceded in death by her sister, Diane “Dee” Guarino. Susan will be greatly missed by her grand munchkins: Midas, Sadie, Nero, Finn, and Reese. Susan is so loved. While we will never feel like we had long enough, we will forever be grateful for the time we shared. Susan will always be our family’s north star. Susan taught us all to love hard, be kind, patient, and resilient. Susan will live on through our memories and love. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your local animal shelter in Susan’s name. Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life on Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 12:00 to 3:00p at Shadows on the Hudson, 176 Rinaldi Blvd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

Susan O. Cornelison

July 3, 1956 - May 20, 2023