Susan Elaine Wood Ferguson, known for her brilliant mind, incredible sense of humor, and warm spirit, passed away peacefully in her home on April 26th, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Florida at age 69.
Susan was born in Jacksonville, FL on November 14, 1956 to Donald (Don) and Beverly Wood. Susan was a dedicated and hard worker who held many roles throughout her life, including time spent as a hairdresser, a front-end manager for Albertson’s, a cashier, and a homemaker. It was while working as a cashier at Mincy’s Pharmacy that she met the love of her life, a pharmacist named Keith Ferguson.
To know Susan was to know a woman of many wonderful and eclectic passions. She was deeply musically inclined, loved to dance, and took immense pride in her cherished record collection. She had a profound appreciation for the arts, counting Rembrandt and Van Gogh among her favorite artists, and considered To Kill a Mockingbird her favorite book. She was captivated by Old Hollywood movies and had a uniquely wonderful love for pirates, even saying she was a Pirate Wench in a past life.
Though Susan didn’t get the opportunity to attend college as she had always dreamed, she never stopped learning and possessed a lifelong thirst for knowledge. She was a formidable Jeopardy! player, a history buff, and a woman who possessed an encyclopedic memory, evidenced not only by her trivia skills but by the loving fact that she knew and remembered everyone’s birthday only by hearing the date once.
At home, Susan was a true creator. She was an excellent cook whose meals brought people together, and she found great peace in her garden, tending to her plants. Her favorite color was green, fitting for someone who nurtured so much life around her. She was also a highly talented seamstress who poured her love into sewing many unforgettable Halloween costumes for her daughter.
Susan had a special place in her heart for animals, especially cats. One of her fondest memories was of her beloved cat, Mickey, who would sweetly sit on her stomach to keep her company while she was pregnant with her only child, Gabriela. She had cats with her up until her passing.
Above all, Susan’s greatest joy was her family. She held great love for her seven siblings and for her many nieces and nephews. She cherished her husband of nearly 45 years and her daughter. She is survived by her devoted husband, Keith Ferguson, and her loving daughter, Gabriela Marie Ferguson, who will carry her mother’s tender heart, wonderful humor, and bright spirit with them always.
She will be laid to rest in Jacksonville, FL where she was born and raised, near where her parents are buried.
Susan is survived by her husband, Keith and her daughter Gabriela (Gaby); Sisters, Kathleen (Kathy) and Patricia (Patty); Brothers, Donald (Ricky), James (Jimmy), and Mark. She joins her sister, Linda and brother, Scott as well as her parents, Donald and Beverly.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, May 5th at The Evergreen Funeral Home Chapel, 4535 Main Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32206. Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm and continue until the funeral service. The Evergreen Chapel is located at the base of the bell tower on the grounds of Evergreen Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction and care of Evergreen Funeral Home – (904) 353-3649.
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