Susan Strine, 80, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, peacefully passed away at the Pinehurst FirstHealth Hospice House on August 6, 2022. Her husband and daughter were with her. Susan had fought valiantly against pancreatic cancer for four years.
Susan was the daughter of the late Arthur Cyphers and Jean Rexroth of Mt. Gilead, Ohio. She is survived by her husband, Lowell, daughter Linda (Robert), sister Sandra (Robert), and half-brother Mark. Her son Michael is deceased. She has several nieces, nephews, great-nephews, and cousins. She was lovingly embraced by the Strine family both past and present.
As a child, Susan was immediately drawn to horses. One of her fondest early memories was when a neighbor let her sit on his pony and led her on a short ride around the field. From then on she would look for opportunities to view, pet, and feed horses. She got her own horse as an adult and learned the ups and downs of owning and riding her own mount. Later she and her daughter successfully bred sport horses for several years. Susan continued her love of horses through Linda who is a top competitor, trainer and teacher of dressage in Kentucky.
Susan and Lowell married in 1961. They lived in Lexington, Kentucky; Sandy Hook, Connecticut; San Jose, California; and Winchester, Kentucky prior to moving to Pinehurst in 1998. At each of these locations, Susan became interested in learning about the native plant species and their usage and care in landscaping. When she came to the Sandhills region of North Carolina Susan was amazed by the uniqueness of the plant species and the growing conditions under which they thrived.
Susan became very active in volunteer activities related to gardening. She was a Dirt Gardener at Weymouth Center for a number of years. She attended classes at the Moore County Extension Center to become qualified as a Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV). Over the twenty years as a MGV she gave thousands of hours to improving existing gardens and creating new ones as well as working the extension hotline and providing free consulting services to those who requested it.
Susan became a charter member of the Pinehurst Greenway Wildlife Habitat Committee serving as the chair for many years and inspired growth of the group. Today, many of these members continue her legacy and have a deep appreciation for her dedication, motivation, and willingness to share her knowledge and techniques.
Susan was instrumental in leading the development of the Pollinator Habitat Garden on the Pinehurst Greenway Trail. Through the continued work of the current volunteers, it has become a showpiece and hidden gem for the village.
Susan was honored with the Village of Pinehurst Volunteer Champions Award in 2017. That same year she also received the Award of Excellence by the Moore County Extension MGV.
Even after her illness made her homebound, Susan was a major contributor to the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox project featuring her yard and local gardens through pictures and narrative. She received an honorable mention Pinehurst Volunteer of the Year award for her efforts.
Susan was a member of Save Our Sandhills and Sandhills Natural History Society. Among her hobbies and interests were birding, golf, travel, ethnic dining, cooking, reading, genealogy, art, and photography.
Susan’s engaging personality and glowing smile will be greatly missed by her family and all those who were fortunate enough to know her.
No services are planned.
Memorial contributions may be made to FirstHealth Hospice Foundation.
Services are entrusted to Crumpler Funeral Home-Aberdeen.
