GONIC - Susan Velvet Dunn (Noyes), a gifted artist, loving wife, devoted mother, and gentle spirit, died peacefully at home in Gonic, New Hampshire on May 9, 2025. She was 73 years old.
Born on October 31, 1951, in Newburyport, Mass., Susan lived a life filled with creativity, compassion, and intention. As a painter and mixed media artist, her work included watercolors, acrylics, ink art, handmade cards, and scrapbooks. Nature was her greatest inspiration, often reflected in her depictions of birch trees, beaches, and peaceful landscapes.
Susan shared her talents through teaching and mentoring others in classes and workshops. She also owned a scrapbook store that became a creative gathering place for her community. Her joy came from helping others discover their own creativity and confidence.
She approached life with the eyes of an artist and the heart of a caregiver. Her way of seeing the world brought beauty into everyday moments. Susan inspired her daughters to live with courage, authenticity, and purpose.
Susan was a woman of deep faith. She often blended her creative work with personal reflections and scripture in her art journals. In one entry, she wrote that it hurt her deeply to know there were people without enough food, especially children, and she could not understand why this did not affect others in the same way. Her compassion was sincere and constant.
She felt happiest when creating in her studio while listening to Christian music, when near the water at the ocean or lake, when teaching others, and when spending time with her daughters and grandchildren.
Susan adored her family deeply. She is survived by her husband, Michael Dunn, and her daughters, Jennifer O'Keefe and Julie Cedrone. She was a proud and loving grandmother whose time with her grandchildren brought her great joy. She also shared a close and cherished bond with her brother, Barry Noyes, and held deep affection for her nieces and nephews, whose lives she touched with warmth and encouragement.
She lived with kindness, creativity, and quiet strength.
Her legacy will live on through the art she created, the lessons she shared, and the love she gave so generously. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.