Susan Whitford Drake

‘Susy’ 

September 10, 1941 ~ April 18, 2026

Our dear mother, sister, and grandmother, Susan Whitford Drake, died peacefully at Kaplan Family Hospice Residence in Newburgh, NY, on April 18, 2026. She was 84.

Known as ‘Susy’ to friends and loved ones, she was bright, inquisitive, artistic, and quiet yet outspoken. She was generous and deeply thoughtful, and had a knack for lightening the mood with her sarcastic wit. There was always a crossword puzzle on Susy’s coffee table and a Words with Friends game on her phone, where she channeled her competitive streak with her brother.

Susy was born September 10, 1941, in Lima, Peru. Her parents were Louise Miller Howland and Rockwell Drake, who was stationed in Lima for business at the time of her birth. Her family moved to Riverside, Connecticut, a few years later and then to Coral Gables, Florida. Some of her most cherished memories were from summers spent with her grandmother in Chatham, MA, and with a childhood friend in Maine.

Susy graduated from Coral Gables High School and attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she received a BA in English and a M.Ed. in Audiology and Speech Pathology. She served as president of Alpha Delta Pi at Emory and later as president of the Professional Group of the Atlanta Junior League. In 1967, Susy married Joseph Dubois Lipscomb.

Susy loved working with children and mentoring teachers as Director of the Atlanta Speech School’s Department of Speech and Language. In 1975, she moved with her husband and their two children to Edina, Minnesota, where she worked as a Title 1 tutor.

In 1978, the family headed west to Palo Alto, California. Inspired by her son’s burgeoning interest in computers, Susy took some programming classes and co-wrote a series of books which helped children create their own programs in the BASIC computer language. After a few years as advisor in the College and Career Center at Henry M. Gunn High School, Susy returned to graduate school at San Jose State University and earned a MA in Educational Counseling. She then worked for 20 years as a guidance counselor at Gunn, helping hundreds of students navigate high school and plan for their future. She was divorced in 1991.

In 2004, Susy married Thomas Norton Trower, retired, and moved to Boulder Creek, California, where deer, coyote, and the occasional cougar graced their property. Susy was again divorced in 2013 and moved to Cold Spring, New York, to be near her daughter‘s family.

Susy loved tennis and played from ages 7-70 for various clubs and teams. She began sewing in her early 60’s and delighted in making clothes for her grandchildren and designing quilts. She was a charter member of the South Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild in California and joined the Hudson Valley Modern Quilt Guild when she moved to New York, serving in leadership positions with both associations. She also began playing duplicate bridge and enjoyed lessons and matches at the Hudson River Bridge Club in Poughkeepsie, New York, and the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, New York.

Susy is survived by her son, Joseph Slaton Lipscomb, her daughter, Evelyn Rockwell Lipscomb Berkley (Michael), her brother, John Howland Drake (Dale), and her two beloved grandchildren, Dustin Miller Berkley and Hazel Drake Berkley. She leaves behind a legacy of love, friendship, and grit that will always be cherished.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Atlanta Speech School in Atlanta, Georgia, or to the Yosemite Conservancy are welcomed.

The family wishes to thank the incredibly compassionate and caring staff at Kaplan Family Hospice Residence. A private family service will be held at a later date in Chatham, MA.