Susan Dillabaugh Klish

Susan “Sue” Dillabaugh Klish, at age 83, passed away on April 5, 2025 in Baltimore, MD. Born on August 15, 1941, to Frances and Walter Dillabaugh in Schenectady, NY, she was raised in Saratoga Springs, NY. An alumna of Saratoga Springs High School (class of 1959), Sue went on to attend the University of Connecticut graduating from the School of Pharmacy. She met the love of her life, Joseph Klish, while an undergraduate at UCONN and they were married 2 weeks after receiving her degree in 1963.

Sue was a lovely, educated, opinionated and fiercely devoted woman. She appreciated convention and yet broke barriers. She was the original working woman in a profession that was dominated by men. She believed in the divinity of God and worshipped faithfully throughout her life, constantly pursuing theology in literature, art and music. She loved to sew, knit, quilt and rug hook. She loved her husband, her girls, her sons-in-law and her grandchildren. She led a full and complete life every day.

Among the people, places and experiences that meant the most to her: the lifelong friends she and Joe made while he served in United States Air Force; worship at the First Church of Christ, Farmington, CT where she was also member of the Bell Choir and served on several stewardship committees; travels to quilting retreats and shows where she shared her expertise, learned new skills and made deep friendships with artisans across the country and owning an independent pharmacy in Burlington, CT where she and Joe contributed to the community in many ways that small businesses do.

In her retirement, Sue really loved visits with her family, and simple pleasures like taking art history classes, getting her hair and nails done and socializing with her beloved friends at Charlestown. She had most recently been learning sign language.

Sue is survived by her daughters Melissa Werner (Todd) and Sarah Liu (Albert) and her grandchildren Cooper, Ruby and Logan. Sue was preceded in death by her loving husband, Joe, in 2018.

A private cremation was held. The family will receive friends on Monday, May 19th from 10am-12pm with a memorial service beginning at 10am at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Catonsville, MD. Please consider a donation in Sue’s memory to Miss Porter’s School, Farmington, CT. Donations can be made here. For those desiring to watch a livestream of the funeral service, you may do so with this Zoom link or by visiting St. John's Grace UCC's Calendar and Meetings page.