Suzanne Thorndike Obituary

Suzanne Thorndike
WINDSOR, SC - Suzanne S. Thorndike, 91 of Windsor, South Carolina, passed away Saturday, January 3, 2015. Born April 19, 1923 in Portland, Maine the only child of the late Philip L. Sherry and Marion Rines Sherry.
Suzanne was the widow of Charles Thorndike. Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law Sherry and Peter Burrows of Windsor, SC. Her son Philip Conroy of Portland, Maine. Two grandchildren, Christopher Seneca of Portland, Maine and Robyn Seneca of Columbia, SC.
Suzanne graduated from Deering High School in 1941. Through a long and varied career she worked in offices and veterinary hospitals prior to being employed by the Woolworth's department store in South Paris, Maine where she was the pet department manager up until her retirement in 1988. She was a small business owner most of her life. She owned and operated a stable specializing in ponies where she offered trail rides and riding lessons, first in Westbrook, Maine and then in Paris Hill, Maine.
Throughout the years hundreds of children explored the woods and fields of the Paris Hill area and learned horseback riding with Suzanne and her Paris Hill Ponies. A lifelong animal lover she began horseback riding in her teens. She was able to turn this passion into her life's work.
In 1992 she retired to South Carolina where she continued to blaze trails and enjoyed riding and socializing with friends.
Suzanne enjoyed photography, music, time with her family which included many dogs and cats, and exploring the woods with her favorite ponies where she would create new trails for everyone to enjoy.
Many of those trails are in the Cornwall Nature Preserve on Paris Hill and are still enjoyed by hikers, bikers, and horseback riders today.
Chris: I have to take a moment to tell you about someone who played a large part, forget that, huge part in shaping who I am today. My grandmother, Suzanne, taught me the importance of hard work and living for your passion. With her I learned independence and self-reliance. I will always cherish the memories of meals shared, playing chess, truck rides, and adventures with the ponies. I miss her and I will live a life that would make her proud.
Robyn: Thank you for instilling the love of all animals, specifically horses, challenging me to conquer many fears through this love and that I should ALWAYS get back in the saddle whenever I fall off. Literally and figuratively in life.
I may not know much about who you were before I met you, but I enjoyed every summer I had with you. We had our differences but we always loved each other. Thank you Grammie. You are part of a million great memories of my childhood and I will never forget the good times both on and off horseback. You are now at peace. Get on your horse and ride into the sunset.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in her memory be made to an Animal Welfare charity of your choice. A private memorial is planned later in the year.
Visit our on-line registry at www.folkfuneralhome.com.