Obituary: Susan Schumann

– August 28, 2025

Susan H. Schumann (1930-2025)
Susan Harrison Schumann, who loved dogs, horses, and most people, most of the time, passed away peacefully on August 28, 2025. She was born in Verona, New Jersey to Charlotte Tolles Harrison and Ridgley Webster Harrison II.
In 1972, after raising three children, Susan left the East and settled in Aspen, Colorado with Ward Ford Schumann. She rode and showed Quarter horses while her husband – an artist by love and vocation – tried his hand at calf roping in between serving as head of Music Associates of Aspen. Susan and Ford together formed the “Them Thar Hills” tent of the Laurel and Hardy Society, and hosted many hilarious screenings for fellow aficionados.
During several years’ stay in San Diego, they developed a lively interest in horse racing and enjoyed watching their own thoroughbreds at the track. Susan also supported horse showing and enjoyed watching her hunters show under the guidance of Leslie Stohlgren. Susan kept many horses at home and was always thankful for the help provided by Francisco Herrera who worked for her for many years.
Susan and Ford adopted the Catholic faith and gave heartfelt support to parishes in Scottsdale, where they built a winter home in 1982, in San Diego where they attended the Church of the Nativity, and in Snowmass where they developed a warm and lasting friendship with the monks of St. Benedict’s Monastery.
Susan’s first love – apart from her children and Ford – was animals. From her first Cocker Spaniel, Bobo, to her surviving mixed breed rescue, Carly, she has kept a menagerie of dogs (as many corgis as the late Queen Elizabeth), a small herd of horses, and one cat. She was an ardent advocate for the rights and feelings of all animals, as well as a passion for environmental conservation.
Susan is survived by her three children, Mark, Gregg, and Kristy, and four step-children, Jay, Margaret, Betsy, and Richard. They inherit the memory of a singular person and personality, a jockey-sized woman with out-sized opinions, incandescent exasperation, and fierce independence. She is also survived by many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Much loved, she will be missed.