Susan Elizebeth Bigler

On June 16, 2025, the world lost an incredible and truly one-of-a-kind woman, Susan Elizabeth Boden Bigler, 83. Originally from Utica, NY, and later a proud resident of Hingham, MA, Susan passed away, peacefully at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Utica, on St. Patrick's Day 1942, to Frank and Gertrude Boden, Susan was always the life of the party. She attended Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School. Despite her longstanding and spirited disagreement with the nuns over her constant chatter in class - often alongside her partner in crime and best friend, Mary Lou Miller - she graduated from Utica Catholic Academy in 1960.

After more than a decade in Utica, Susan and her former husband, Charles Bigler, packed up their young daughters and moved to Sterling, VA, in 1972. Reflecting on her time there, Susan once wrote, "The opportunity to live in Virginia and near Washington, DC, provided me with many wonderful memories and experiences that contributed to a very happy and fulfilling life".

After taking time to raise her children, Susan resumed her studies and earned her BS in Human Studies from Utica College in 1989, followed by her Master's in Education. She went on to work for the Oneida County Department of Social Services, where she was especially proud of her role as a Senior Caseworker in the Foster Care Unit and passionately advocated for hundreds of children in the foster care system.

After retiring in 2008, Susan moved to Hingham to be closer to her daughter, Amy, and her grandchildren. In her words, "they needed someone to corrupt them." Her grandchildren were her greatest joy. She loved taking them on annual surprise birthday excursions, which she called her "Grammy Adventures," hosting them for sleepovers and baking her famous cinnamon rolls.

Susan loved games and inherited a fiercely competitive spirit from her father. No matter the game, she played to win. Susan earned the title of "best at Dr. Mario" from her children's friends - a game she originally picked up to strengthen her hands, but quickly mastered. At family camp at Otter Lake, she loved playing Mahjong, Bridge and Hearts with her family and her passion for games only grew with time. She would stay up into the early hours of the morning playing backgammon and Scrabble with her kids, armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of every "Q" word that didn't require a "U."

Susan also had a flair for creativity and loved making things by hand. She crafted beautiful cross-stitch samplers and sewed many dresses for her daughters. A passionate baker, she prided herself on making everything from scratch - and gently shamed anyone who didn't. Her birthday cakes for her grandchildren were legendary. She also had a playful side, famously indulging in all-you-can-eat buffets (sometimes with Tupperware in tow for leftovers). Of all her hobbies and interests, though, nothing brought her greater joy than spending time with her family.

Susan embodied integrity, warmth, perseverance, strength and a sharp, wry sense of humor. As she often said, "Life doesn't give you more than you can handle" - and she could handle a lot. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in her forties, Susan refused to let it define her or slow her down. She took horseback riding lessons, in her seventies, just to surprise her granddaughter and she proudly became a member of the Linden Ponds 500 Club after completing 500 workouts in under three years. When diagnosed with aggressive mantle cell lymphoma and pancreatic cancer, in her final years, her fighting spirit continued to shine through. She was a fighter in every sense of the word.

Susan is survived by her children, Amy Torrey and her husband, Matt, of Hingham, MA and their children, Matthew Jr. and Julia; Brian Bigler and his wife, Krystle, of Attleboro, MA and their children, Kenzie, Blake and Remy; David Bigler, of Hingham, MA; Elizabeth Nelson, of Frankfort, NY and her daughter, Annie; brother, Frank Boden and wife, Kathy, of Utica; brother-in-law, John Fehlner, of Clinton, NY; sister-in-law, Debra Bigler, of Coral Springs, FL; nieces and nephews, John Fehlner III, Ben Fehlner, Andy Fehlner, Erika Kehlhofer, Nichole Sellers, Kelly Boden and Erica Leshkevich.

She was predeceased by her loving sister, Mary "Mimi" Carol Fehlner, Charles Bigler; and her brothers-in-law, John and Robert Bigler.