Susan J. Jeffers

Susan J. Jeffers passed away peacefully on January 23, 2020 in Newtown, CT while surrounded by her loving family. Susan was born on October 7, 1942 in Jersey City, New Jersey to the late Alice L. Adelaide and Ernest W. Jeffers.

Susan enjoyed a long, successful career as a beloved children’s book illustrator. Her drawings and paintings are known worldwide in many classic tales and poems such as Hansel and Gretel, Hiawatha, The Nutcracker, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. She Illustrated other original stories such as Brother Eagle Sister Sky and the McDuff series which was written by Rosemary Wells who shared a love of Westies. My Pony, and My Chincoteague Pony combined Susan’s lifelong passion of riding horses.   

While her illustrations were primarily watercolor and ink, Susan loved oil painting portraits, still lifes, and especially plein air painting. Many of her landscapes depict locations around her home in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. She especially loved painting with her friend, Jean Marzollo, in Gloucester, Massachusetts where scenes of colorful fishing boats dominated the vistas. For many years she attended painting classes in Silvermine, CT where she continued to hone her craft.

Susan is survived by her daughter Alice Phillips, son-in-law Chad Phillips, their 3 children, Macie, Graham, Soren….and their comforting 4 legged companion Rocky. Her sister Judy (3 nephews) and brother Bill (1 niece) also remain.

Along with flowers the family requests that donations in Susan’s honor be made to Teatown Lake Reservation. This is a local non-profit that strives to inspire life-long environmental stewardship.

online - https://www.teatown.org/get-involved/donate/

by phone - 914.762.2912 x118

or direct mail - Teatown Lake Reservation

1600 Spring Valley Rd

Ossinning, NY 10562

A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held on Friday February 7, 2020 from 2 to 4 p.m. with a Celebration of Life Service to begin at 3:15 p.m. Following the Celebration of Life Gathering a reception will be held at the Phillips residence from 5-7 where all are welcome.

To light a candle or leave a condolence in her memory, please visit www.DanburyMemorial.com "

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Susan J. Jeffers, please visit our floral store.