Susan Ridgway Hammel

The celebration of Susan R Hammel’s life and contributions will be held on October 22, 2011 in the Old Cumberland County Courthouse, Carlisle PA. A reception will be held from 1-3 pm to offer condolences. Persons who have had a special connection to Susan are invited to share memories at 3 pm on the 2nd floor. Seating will be limited.


Susan Ridgway Hammel, 60, passed away at home on August 8, 2011.
Susan was raised in Owatonna, Minnesota and on Madeline Island, Wisconsin, growing into the giving, caring, loving person we all knew. She graduated from Hollins College, in Virginia, with a BA degree and Shippensburg University, in Pennsylvania, with an MA degree. Susan taught elementary school in the Carlisle Area School District and was a pioneer in the district for team-teaching and blended classrooms. Her love of the students and love of learning remain her legacy. During her lifetime, Susan was an avid gardener, reader, seeker of knowledge (especially history), and lover of nature (especially of horses). Her recent years were spent volunteering with the Landis Valley farm program, caring for the draft horses and driving the teams giving tours of the historic village.
Susan’s mother, Beverly Ridgway Hammel and step-father, Louis William Hammel, predecease her. She is survived by her daughters and husband, Kirby, Brin and Jeff Benjamin; her father and step-mother, Wayne and Marilyn Brock; her aunts and uncles, Nancy and Gerry Hennessey, Beth Hammel, Betty Ridgway, Bob and JoAnne Ridgway; her siblings and their spouses, Laurie Robin Hammel and Bruce English; Louis and Bev Hammel; Steve and Vicki Brock; John and Lisa Brock; Marthe Brock; Barbara and Babak Kusha; eight nieces and nephews; an endless group of friends; and the many, many people whose lives she has touched.
Friends will remember her caring nature, ready wit, and lovely smile. She has become a part of us through all she has given.
A memorial service will be held at Landis Valley, in Lancaster, PA, in the fall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Landis Valley farm program and/or send a memory, a picture, or a thought of Susan – to her daughters.
Hoffman-Roth Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 219 North Hanover Street, Carlisle is in charge of the funeral arrangements.