Susan Lackner

DELMAR - Susan Lackner, 57, of Delmar, passed away on Tuesday May 10, 2011 at St. Peter's Hospice Inn surrounded by her family. Susan was the most loving and cherished wife of Ted Lackner. They married in September 1976, soon after Susan graduated from Cornell. Susan was the devoted and beloved mother of Tom and Sarah. Susan had a lifelong interest in acquiring knowledge of health and sharing it to help and empower others, and was guided by her strong faith in our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Susan saw mothering as a full time occupation, and devoted herself to caring for and enjoying her children. But Susan also found ways to help others with her extra time. From serving as a LaLeche League leader, to parent and child activities instructor for the town of Bethlehem, to heading religious education at St. Vincent de Paul parish, Susan fulfilled her vocation to help others, particularly by sharing her knowledge, experience and faith. When Sarah left for college, Susan began working on a full time career. She started at HVCC to get prerequisites for the nursing program, entering that program the following year. She graduated as an RN in May of 2008, but never considered attending the ceremony because Sarah's graduation was on the same day. Susan then worked as a nurse at Albany Med for less than a year before being disabled by mesothelioma. When faced by the challenge of that cruel disease, Susan reacted by learning as much as she could about it, and took it as her challenge to become the longest meso survivor. She gathered all the information she could, and studied it, consulted experts and decided to move forward fighting it. She went on to do so with determination and great faith, so that even in her last days she stood as a witness to the God she loved so well, who is a God of resurrection. Susan lost her parents while a teenager to diseases caused by asbestos, and her older brother James Widercrantz (Rosalie) to asbestos caused mesothelioma in 1989. She is survived by her sister Linda (Ed) Kurathowski of Long Island, and Jon (Sarah) Widercrantz of Ithaca as well as nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, godchildren, and Alex and Matthew DiCarlo. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday from 4 to 8 pm at the Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 9:30 am Friday at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 35 Adams Pl., Delmar. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Glenmont. Contributions in Susan's memory may be made to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (www.CUREMESO.org).