Upon hearing the name Suzzy Sams, many of us All Souls parishioners have various visions of this lady:
- endlessly labeling and bagging numerous bags of sweets during Food Booth weekend
- tirelessly creating the monthly newsletter for many years
- finding awe-inspiring artwork that perfectly envisions our theme for the Stewardship Campaign
- serving faithfully on the Arts Commission
- giving thoughtful and thought-filled presentations illustrated with centuries of art.
Her gifts and talents are priceless. Suzzy is priceless. A pearl of great value she is indeed.
Church Women United of the Asheville Area, an ecumenical organization dedicated to social justice and outreach, recognized Suzzy by naming her their Valiant Women of the Year during their annual meeting held January 22, 2011 at Brooks Howell on Merrimon Avenue. Many women from All Souls were present including Belle Shipley, Rev. Barbara Plimpton, Prue Wilson, Joan Crook, and Lisa Sellers.
Suzzy is a native of Western North Carolina, lived in Raleigh, Washington, DC, and Clemson, SC, but returned to the Asheville area to stay in the mid-1970s. She retired from a production planning/sales coordinating position with a large chemical-textile company in the ‘90s to pursue her love of art history by hanging out in the Art Department at her alma mater, UNC Asheville, where she had earned a BA in history (‘84) and a Master of Liberal Arts (‘96). She is still there, researching arcane art history questions and finding images for art historians, maintaining a website (and developing a new one) for the art department, and whatever else is needed. An avid photographer, she travels whenever the opportunity and the piggy-bank allows, many times to Italy on archaeological digs with students.
As a parishioner at the Cathedral of All Souls, Suzzy has volunteered with the Cathedral Arts Commission, was editor of the church newsletter, considered an honorary member of the Stewardship Commission and is a very dedicated volunteer who has seen thousands of sweets bagged the first weekend in August at the Annual Food Booth.
Suzzy was surprised and honored to be recognized by the Asheville Area Church Women United for her many years of work on the Communications Committee as their newsletter and annual directory editor. Suzzy’s faith family members do not find this honor surprising at all—we find the title Valiant Woman a very fitting description of Suzzy’s many decades of service to the communities of All Souls, UNC-Asheville and Asheville. Thank you, Suzzy, Job Well Done on all these jobs done well!