Obituaries

Elizabeth Anne “Susie” (Brookover) Hart, age 84, passed away peacefully on the morning of December 25, 2024.

Born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, on June 19, 1940, she was the daughter of the late William S. “Bill” and Helen Brookover.

She was preceded in death by her brother, William S. “Bill” Brookover, and her sister, Rebecca Louise “Becky” Moore.

Susie married her high school sweetheart, John C. Hart, on May 29, 1959. They shared 50 years of love and devotion before his passing in 2010.

Susie graduated from Washington Irving High School in 1958. She pursued studies at Fairmont State and West Virginia University in early childhood education, demonstrating a deep love for teaching. Her community service work later in life showed that passion, where she volunteered at the Clarksburg Library to help create an immersive children’s garden with the Goff Plaza Garden Club. After the passing of her husband, Susie pursued her passion for gardening and became a certified Master Gardener. That fueled her passion to continue her studies at West Virginia University in Landscape Architecture.

Her creativity extended to her love of flowers, particularly Ikebana Japanese flower arranging, which led her to become an active member of the Ikebana International Chapters of Pittsburgh and Charlotte. She earned teaching certifications in the Kaikai Kakazen School of Ikebana, and her arrangements were frequently showcased at the Charlotte Home and Garden Spring event.

Susie was also a dedicated member of several garden clubs in West Virginia, including the Goff Plaza Garden Club and the Governor Johnson Garden Club. She proudly served presidential terms for both garden clubs. She was also a past president of the Harrison County Garden Council and a member of the State Garden Club Board, where she achieved numerous accolades throughout her years of involvement. She was active in the Historic Home Committee and helped decorate the Waldomore House and the Clarksburg Library for the holidays. She was also a chairwoman of the Holly Ball for two terms and was an active member of the Clarksburg League for Service.

Her proudest achievement was her work with the Blue Star Memorial Gardens, which earned her national recognition and awards for the Goff Plaza Garden Club. Her involvement in garden clubs continued when she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where at times she was a member of the Charlotte Garden Club and the Wing Haven Gardens. She remained active in donating her time and arrangements to club functions, such as providing a large-scale arrangement that was displayed during the Art in the Gardens Wrap Party at the Mint Museum of Art.

Susie was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. She played piano for church service at Clarksburg Presbyterian Church and was an active member on their refreshment committee. She was a current member of the Providence Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In addition to her passion for gardening and community service, Susie worked for 21 years at J.C. Penney at Meadowbrook Mall as a Women’s Clothing Sales Associate.
She is survived by her children: Suzanne Hyde Hart, Patricia (Folio) Galos, and John Hyde Hart; her grandchildren: Anne-Marie (Hart Folio) Fenwick and husband Adam, Justin Edward Hart, Zane Riley Hart; as well as several beloved nieces, including Jennifer (Moore) Perry, Shelly (Brookover) Simmons, Amelia (Brookover) Taylor, and grandnieces, Jenna Nicole and Cecily Elizabeth Taylor. The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to numerous friends that cared for her, including Kati (Fischer) Braveman, Paula (Fischer) Nelson, Tabitha Osman, Stephanie Moran, Ann Del Vecchio, Michelle Nichols, and Susan Robertson.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the future at Charlotte Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Plans for a graveside service, where she will be laid to rest in Bridgeport Cemetery in West Virginia, will be announced at later date.

The family would like to extend their sincerest thanks to the many doctors and nurses that provided comfort care at Atrium – Pineville and Hospice House – Southminster.

They ask that donations be made to American Red Cross – Hurricane Helena Relief Efforts, in lieu of flowers.