Susan Breslin Obituary

Susan Breslin FOLLY BEACH - After a brief illness, Susan Patricia Breslin of Folly Beach, SC, devoted sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, died peacefully in her sleep on 3 February 2020. She was 80. Born on 30 May 1939 in Pittsfield, MA, to Dr. James Edward Breslin and his wife, Adeline Breslin (born Devereaux), Susan attended public schools in Pittsfield through the eighth grade, completed high school at the Kenwood Academy in Albany, NY (at that time Kenwood, the Convent and School of the Sacred Heart), then graduated from the University of Toronto. Upon graduation she moved to New York City, studying Urban and Regional Planning while working in administration at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, eventually becoming an Adjunct Professor at Pratt. Transitioning from New York to South Carolina in the latter part of her career Breslin consulted on both urban planning as well as educational reform. Devoted to social causes and reflecting the political and cultural dynamics of the 1960's, she promoted progressive political causes, advocated for those she considered vulnerable, and engaged in social / cultural activism. Invited in 2013 to speak to a class at The Citadel, Breslin recalled her time with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in Harlem, and reflected about her involvement with the TV Image Campaign, an initiative to encourage major companies to adopt socially and racially integrated advertising. Her participation in the civil rights movement had a deep personal and professional impact, and served as a lifetime cause to encourage others to find the issue of their time and become involved. This subject was also a focus of her delivery to The Citadel class where Breslin reflected on the significance of the March on Washington in August, 1963: "I think everybody who participated in the March on Washington-and they came from everywhere-walked away knowing they were part of something huge." Reflecting also on her embrace of potentially controversial positions, she advocated that, "Every little step creates controversy, but the controversy does not last. What lasts is the door that has been opened." Over the course of more than 60 years Breslin never refrained from taking on issues she felt were right, and yes -sometimes controversial. In this regard, the Folly and South Carolina friends and colleagues may have experienced and may recognize the fierce determination Susan could bring to issues she felt strongly about. An equally avid bridge player, Breslin was a regular in a Folly Beach group until very recently. She also volunteered for many local causes in her beloved Folly Beach community (considering it her "second" family). This included the Folly Beach Civic Club, and until very recently producer / editor of the Folly Beach Sandspur community newsletter. Susan is predeceased by her two sisters, Danna de Rochefort (2017) and Cate Breslin (2016). She is survived by five nieces and nephews (and nine grand- nieces and nephews): Marc de Rochefort of Toulouse, France, and his children, Simone and Tristan; Ghislaine de Rochefort of Washington, DC, and Barcelona, Spain, and her children, Maximilian and Sebastian; Pierre de Rochefort of Geneva, Switzerland, and Portland, Maine, and his children, Leila and Nicolas; Laurent de Rochefort of Woods Hole, MA; and Alexandra de Buy Wenniger of Topsfield, MA, and her children, Isabella, Carolina, and James (Ciaran). A celebration of life service is planned at the Folly Beach community center (date and place to be determined and communicated). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Folly Beach Public Library. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston