An Angus mother of two who “doted on her family” has died aged 38 after a long battle with an aggressive and rare form of cancer.
Susan Crosbie from Carnoustie passed away at Roxburghe House on Wednesday and family and friends yesterday described her as “the life and soul of the party.”
In the weeks leading up to her death, Susan mum to Ross (9) and Jamie (6) told husband Rab (41) and best friend Gillian Brand (38) she did not want any tears at her wake and wanted it to be a celebration of her life.
“That’s what she’s like and that’s exactly what she would want it to be,” said Rab. “She wouldn’t want us to just sit and be morbid she was not that kind of person.
“She said to Gillian and she said to me, ‘Make sure you have a good drink, a good party and celebrate my life.’ That was her to a tee she was the life and soul of the party.”
Susan’s mum Jenny added, “She was very brave and so determined to get better for those boys but it beat her. She was very brave and now we’ve got to be very brave and make her proud of us.
“We did everything together and we used to talk on the phone every day. We’re going to celebrate her life. We’ll try not to cry.”
Rab, Ross, Jamie, Gillian and Jenny joined Susan’s brother Gordon (36) at the family home to share their memories of Susan, a nurse at Ninewells Hospital until 13 months ago when she became ill.Considerate”She was the most caring, considerate person I’ve ever met,” said Gillian. “She doted on her family and they doted on her. She was always a nurse and her capacity for caring was incredible.”
Gordon added, “She always looked out for me and was a great sister. She loved her family and was always the last person to leave a party. She loved having fun and it’ll take a while to sink in that she’s not going to be around.”
Susan was educated at Carlogie Primary and Carnoustie High, where she was a keen athlete and netball player.
She studied hospitality at Dundee College. Her life changed when she was head waitress in the sergeants’ mess at RM Condor, Arbroath and met Rab, a kitchen porter.
The couple were together 10 years before marrying in 2000 at Panbride Church in Carnoustie and moving back to where Susan grew up, to start a family.
Susan achieved her ambition to become a nurse, having trained at Angus College, and later going back to study at Dundee University, graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing degree in June 2009.
The family paid tribute to all who cared for Susan during her illness, especially staff at Roxburghe House.
Susan’s funeral will take place at Parkgrove Crematorium, Friockheim, on Tuesday.