Susan M. Peoples 

Susan (nee Martin) died peacefully on June 22, 2026.  Susan was the cherished wife of the late John “Jack” Peoples and a loving mother of Jonathan Peoples (Denise Watkins) of Deptford, Elizabeth Presenza (Thomas) of Haddonfield, and Sarah Peoples (Jacob Roller) of Philadelphia. Susan was a beloved Grammie of Sofia, Lydia, Charlie, Josie, and Eleanor. Preceded in death by her loving parents Elizabeth (Betsy) and Robert (Bobby) Martin, her brother Paul Martin, and her beautiful granddaughter Helena. Susan also leaves behind her beloved nephews Nathaniel and Milan Martin, her sister-in-law Shirley, as well as her niece and nephews, Beth, Jim, Randy and Russel Jr.

Susan was born in 1943 in Camden, NJ and grew up in Collingswood. She graduated in 1965 from Rutgers University with a major in French and a minor in English and she studied for a year in the south of France. Susan met Jack during college and they were married for 50 happy years. They settled in and raised their family in Haddon Township. While being a dedicated mother to her own young children, she also dedicated time to teach classes on natural childbirth and breastfeeding. Susan was a dedicated French teacher at Haddon Township High School and retired in 2011. She had so many happy years teaching and working alongside HTHS colleagues who were also incredible friends. After retirement Susan’s love of babies led her to volunteer for many years at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Cooper University Hospital holding infants through their “cuddling program”. While teaching at HTHS as well as after her retirement, Susan volunteered at the Fellowship House in Camden, NJ helping kids with homework and reading.

Susan had a passion for languages, she spoke fluent French, taught Latin and had a love for the classics, especially Greek Mythology. She enjoyed traveling, reading on her front porch, baking, playing the piano, and knitting. She loved spending time with her family, talking and laughing about life and being a Grammie was the role for which Susan was truly made. Nothing gave her more joy than her grandchildren. Until her final days, she would ask about each one of them and express her unending love for them. Susan was a gift to her family as she was the living embodiment of a warm hug and an encouraging word. She inspired her children to be kind and always strive to become better versions of themselves everyday. Her Christian faith was a very important part of her life.

Her adoring family and close friends will be gathering to celebrate her life in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in Susan’s name may be made to the NICU at Cooper University Hospital Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) | The Cooper Foundation or the Ronald McDonald House https://rmhsnj.org/give/ in Camden, NJ.