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1948 Susan Mary Paige, Ph.D. 2023

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Susan Mary Paige, Ph.D.

June 18, 1948 — April 18, 2023

Ellenton, Florida

Devoted Mother, Grandmother and Educator,

Patriotic Woman of Faith

Dr. Susan Mary Paige of Ellenton, Florida, formerly of Kenmore and

Dunkirk, New York, died surrounded by her children at Blake Hospital

in Bradenton, Florida, on Tuesday, April 18 from injuries sustained as

a bystander near a traffic accident on Thursday, April 6. She was 74
Born on June 22, 1948, at Brook Army Hospital, Fort Sam Houston,

in San Antonio, Texas, she was the daughter of Frank A. Paige Jr. of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Irene (née Szalkowski) Paige of

Dunkirk, NY.
Her father was a staff sergeant in the medical corps and her mother

was a 1st Lt. nurse. Growing up in a military family gave her a strong

sense of patriotism. Pride for the country, combined with her natural

curiosity for family history and her keen research abilities tracing her

genealogy, allowed her to gain memberships in National Society of the

Daughters of the American Revolution and General Society of the

Mayflower Descendants.
Dr. Paige’s family moved to Dunkirk in 1952 when her father was sent

to Europe with the military. Living with her grandmother, mother and

brothers, she attended Sacred Heart School, graduating at the end of

eighth grade in 1962. She graduated from Dunkirk High School in 1966

and continued her education at SUNY Fredonia, majoring in sociology.

In 1973, she earned a bachelor's degree in Human Development, Family

and Community Relations, with a minor in early childhood education from

University at Buffalo. Then in 1976, she earned a Master of Education in

elementary and early childhood education, also from University at Buffalo.

Seeing its value and importance, she dedicated her life to education, earning

a Ph.D. in elementary and early childhood education, with a minor in school

administration and supervision from University at Buffalo in 2003. She held

New York State certifications in elementary teaching nursery through grade

six, special education childhood grades one through six and school

administrator/supervisor.
Her path led her to a 26-year career at SUNY with teaching positions at

Fulton-Montgomery Community College, University at Buffalo and Buffalo

State College (now Buffalo State University), where she taught for 22 years.

While at Buffalo State College, she taught courses in Academic Affairs and the

Communication Department. She also served on the UNC 100 Oversight and

Assessment Committee, the Bengal Learning Community Engagement Committee,

the Diversity Committee, and the Teaching Effectiveness Committee. Dr. Paige

mentored many first-year students to present their research at the Student Research

and Creativity Conference and other research opportunities. She was also a familiar

volunteer for First-Year Convocation, first day of class via Orientation, Commencement

activities, and the Pedagogical Institute. Having moved to Florida to teach remotely

during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Paige retired from SUNY Buffalo State College in

September of 2021, when classes began meeting in person again.
Professionally, she was actively involved in the Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Development, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Association

of Childhood Education International, the Council for Exceptional Children. She was the

treasurer for the New York State Division for Early Childhood, one of seventeen divisions

of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which is the largest international professional

organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities,

students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. She was also on the Teacher Education Division

(TED) National Conference Planning committee for the 2005 Portland, Maine conference and

was involved in numerous presentations for TED throughout the years. She sat on the board of

Literacy Empowerment Action Plan of Western New York, serving on the nominating and bylaws

committees, and on the Children’s Services Network, serving as the chair from 1988 to 1989.
Dr. Paige authored and co-authored numerous texts during her career, including articles for Teacher

Education and Practice and Race Gender and Class. She co-authored the textbook Baggage Claims,

and most recently, in 2022, she self published a memoir book of her search for her genealogical

roots on Amazon titled The Soundtrack of My Life. She was working on a sequel at the time of her death.
In the summer of 1950, at barely two years old, Dr. Paige was stricken with polio. She lived her life bravely

fighting its aftermath. In her own writing she says, “...I have the specter of post polio syndrome and very

few doctors seem to know anything about polio let alone this beast. Polio the virus still lives in me and

can reinfect the tissues it missed the first time through. It has stayed a lifetime and it has defined me,

made me strong and made me fight. It has given me compassion and drive and the desire to speak for

disabled children.”
A voracious reader, Dr. Paige was knowledgeable in many areas. She enjoyed light gardening and loved

a good NFL and NHL matchup, following the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres closely. After moving to Florida,

she started watching her Florida teams as well. She enjoyed all kinds of music and attended many live theater

productions. She held season tickets to Shea’s in Buffalo for several years and traveled to New York City to see

“Hamilton” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” two of her favorite musicals, on Broadway.
Dr. Paige was a practicing Roman Catholic with a strong conviction in her faith. She attended Mass on a daily

basis and gave God the glory for the lessons and the blessings in her life, both things she shared with those

whom she came to know. She loved her family and her absence in the lives of those who know her will be deeply felt.
In addition to her parents, Dr. Paige was predeceased by her brother Robert Allen Paige on Feb. 3, 2023.
She is survived by her children Amanda (Evan Piotter) Botto-Piotter of Palmetto Florida, Jimmie (Kelly née Kester)

Botto of Dewittville, New York and Jenna (Scott Lassell) McPhee of Raleigh, North Carolina; grandchildren Izabella

Santell of Newark, New York, Olivia Horning of Newark, Jack Piotter of Palmetto, Arlo Piotter of Palmetto, Brayden

Botto of Dewittville, Cade Botto of Dewittville and Riley Paige Lassell of Raleigh; great-grandchild Alijah James Horning;

and brother James Bernard (Linda) Paige of Truth of Consequences, New Mexico.
Final arrangements were entrusted to Mackowiak Funeral Home, 56 E Doughty St., Dunkirk, NY, 14048.
Family will be present for visitation at the funeral home on Friday, April 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial

will be offered at Holy Trinity R.C. Church, 1032 Central Ave., Dunkirk, NY, on Saturday, April 29, beginning at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests memorial donations made in Dr. Paige’s name to Daughters of the

American Revolution by visiting www.dar.org and clicking the give icon or to the Green Beret Foundation by visiting

www.greenberetfoundation.org.

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