Obituary of Susan Isabel Grettler Brooks

Susan Isabel Grettler Brooks Susan Isabel (Grettler) Brooks, 78, of Erie, PA, passed away peacefully on Friday, August, 16, 2024 (the date of her 55th wedding anniversary), after a prolonged battle with cancer. Susan was born on October 28, 1945, to Merle and Leona Grettler in Erie, PA. After graduating from General McLane High School in 1963, Susan studied vocal performance at Houghton College where she also met Tom Brooks, whom she married in 1969. That same year, she completed a Master of Music in vocal performance from the prestigious Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, and later received an Artist’s Diploma in Opera and Concert Singing from the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. In partnership with Tom, Susan had an illustrious musical career as an opera and oratorio singer, recitalist, and music educator. From 1969 – 1988, she performed with various opera companies and orchestras, including the Connecticut Opera Association, the Hartford Symphony, and the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and she taught voice and related studies at the college level. In 1988, Susan joined the faculty of music at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She was an enthusiastic and gifted teacher and well-loved by the hundreds of students she encountered during her tenure. She and Tom retired from Gordon in 2013, and in 2014, settled on her family’s beloved 200-acre property in Erie. Susan had a deep and abiding Christian faith and was always a vibrant part of her church community, most recently as an active member at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Erie. Along with her lifetime involvement in music, Susan’s many interests included painting, baking (especially Thanksgiving pies with her granddaughters), amusement parks, baseball games, dogs, holidays, time at “The Farm,” and socializing with friends at the Erie Yacht Club. She is survived by her husband Tom, her children, Christopher (Melanie) and Nicholas (Sarah), her grandchildren, Will, Lily, Cecily, Tommy, and Jimmy, and her black Labrador retriever, Henry. A Celebration of Susan’s life will be held at Weis Library United Methodist Church, 6020 Heidler Rd., Fairview, PA,16415, on Monday, August 19th at 7 PM. Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd. handled all arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Erie Philharmonic Vocal Academy Program: https://www.eriephil.org.