Susan Kay Bern

Susan Kay Bern, 83, of Jacksonville, FL, went to be with her Lord on January 10, 2025. Susie, as she was affectionately known, was married to Roger Bern for 44 years until he went to be with his Lord in 2007. Susie was born October 12, 1941, in Kansas City, MO, the daughter of the late Roy and Mary Duncan. 

Her passions in life were loving and serving God and her family. After graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, she taught kindergarten to put Roger through law school. When they started a family, she stayed home as a full-time homemaker to her daughters’ delight. She served as a home dialysis nurse to Roger for 13-and-a-half years and supported him as a devoted health care advocate for the rest of his life. Susie also taught high school classes, sold real estate and helped set up and catalog books for the new law library at Liberty University. Susie embraced grand-parenting and was present for the birth of all 11 of her grandchildren. She invested lots of time, love and prayer in each of them.

Throughout her lifetime she valued and cultivated strong ties among her extended family. In later years, she enjoyed traveling and cruising with her siblings. 

Devoted to Jesus, Susie completed a Crossroads Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission and outreach trips to Thailand and Indonesia. She taught Sunday School classes and at Christian women’s conferences and retreats. She was active in churches wherever she lived, most recently worshipping at St. Johns Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville. Even as she coped with advancing Parkinson’s, Susie remained an encourager and prayer warrior.

She is survived by her daughters, Susan E. Crainshaw and husband Kevin of Jacksonville, FL, and Stacey E. Kelley and husband Bryan of Girard, PA; her brothers, Roy Duncan Jr. and wife Judy of Springfield, MO, Bruce Duncan and wife Debbie of Anthem, AZ, and Rusty Duncan of Lawrence, KS; her grandchildren, Graham Crainshaw (Abbey), Ashley Long (Keegan) and Abbey McGee (Dylan), and Rachel Kennedy (Josh), Joshua Kelley (Annabeth), Joel Kelley (Elena), Lacey Cole (Cole), and Krista, Caleb, Zoey and Zachary Kelley; seven great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. 

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory. Interment will follow at Presbyterian Cemetery.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.