Susan Louise Brandau

It is with great sorrow that the family of Susan Louise Brandau announce that our matriarch's 64-year journey came to an end on August 4th, 2023, following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Susan was born in Endicott, New York on June 2nd, 1959, the fourth child of June Eilene Bahner (d. 1985) and Robert Richards Brandau (d. 2013). The family moved to Indiana shortly after Susan's birth, but relocated to Poughkeepsie, New York in 1965. She left home and moved to Schenectady, New York to attend Union College in 1979, graduating in 1981 as only the second member of her family to complete her baccalaureate degree. She would reside in Schenectady the rest of her life.

It was during her college years that Susan met Clayton William Walters. They began dating in 1979 and welcomed their first child into the world a year later. A wedding and 3 additional children would follow. Susan and Clayton would end their marriage after more than 16 years together, but they remained tightly coupled until their dying days. Theirs was a deep love that only the most fortunate get to experience.

A dedicated civil servant, Susan began her career at the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services in September 1989, eventually rising to the position of Director of the Bureau of Recovery in 2012. She believed deeply in the value of service and the mission of her organization. She retired in November 2021 only as her struggle with cancer became too much to bear.

Susan was so much more than any of the milestones of her life could ever communicate. She was the smartest person in any room, a devout liberal and feminist who saw humanity for the potential it could achieve someday, all while radiating an infectious sense of humor that could find the comical in even the darkest of times. She loved family gatherings, gardening in the sun, enjoying a good book, and found heaven in the lakes of Maine. More than anything, though, she was a Momma Bear. Not just to her own children, but to all of those she ever came into contact with. She genuinely believed that it took a village and lived every day of her life as such.

That rich legacy will live on through Susan's 4 children: David Clayton Walters (Kristen) of Alexandria, Virginia; Christopher William Walters (Faith) of Schenectady, New York; Matthew Robert Walters (Katie) of Glenville, New York; and Cassandra Rose Plumadore (Jordan) of Scotia, New York. She will also live on in the memories of her siblings Hollyse Ann Cooper (Thomas), Robert Richards Brandau II (Rose), William Edward Brandau (Janet), and Julie Marie Robbins (Daniel), as well as an extended family that included brothers and sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews, and dear friends too numerous to list. She was predeceased by her former husband Clayton (d. 2019), as well as the dogs she cherished so much: Gizmo (d. 2009), Riley (d. 2021), and Roxy (d. 2022). Finally, Susan leaves behind 7 grandchildren that she viewed as her greatest accomplishment: Jordan Michael Plumadore (b. 2014), Grace Noelle Walters (b. 2017), Adeline Mae Walters (b. 2017), Norah Jane Plumadore (b. 2018), Clayton Wyatt Walters (b. 2018), Theodore David Walters (b. 2020), and Corinne Waverly Walters (b. 2022).

A celebration of Susan's life will be held on Saturday, August 19th, from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the New Comer Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Road, Colonie, New York 12205. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Planned Parenthood, Community Hospice of Schenectady, or any of the heroic organizations seeking to make progress in the fight against pancreatic cancer.