Susan H. Houpt

Susan Haigh Houpt (born Susan Phyllis Haigh) passed away on September 5, 2026, after a decade‑long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Susan was born on September 7, 1945, in San Diego, CA, but proudly grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts, alongside her younger siblings, Nancy and Robert. A star pupil and avid reader, she graduated from the prestigious Girls’ Latin School in Boston. She went on to earn a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After a brief stint at AT&T, she joined MIT’s placement office, where she was quickly promoted to Assistant Dean for Pre‑professional Advising and Education. In that role she guided MIT undergraduates applying to law and medical schools across the country. Around this time, a charming graduate student stumbled into her office and asked her on a date. She soon fell in love with that graduate student, Paul Houpt, beginning what would become fifty‑three years of marriage. While living outside Boston, Paul and Susan welcomed two children, Megan and Andrew.

Shortly thereafter, Paul’s work took the family to Schenectady, where they have made their home for the past forty‑two years. In Schenectady, Susan shifted focus to her family and the community. A self‑described factotum, she leveraged her organizational and managerial skills to take on leadership roles with United Way and Schenectady Inner City Ministry. She was an active member of First Reformed Church in Schenectady, first as a lay minister with the Stephen Ministry program, then on consistory, and later as a Senior Elder. In each of these roles she was valued for her insight, diplomacy, and ability to help groups reach consensus without conflict.

Susan had many passions. She read widely and participated in several book groups. She loved music, despite not being able to carry a tune, and made sure both of her children could recite each of the Beatles’ names from a very young age. She completed the New York Times crossword puzzle daily (in ink!). She had a sharp, dry sense of humor but would cackle joyfully every time she watched a Mel Brooks film. She possessed extraordinary artistic talent in knitting, needlepoint, and other handcrafts, and her family treasures her fisherman’s sweaters, blankets, socks, and other creations. She was an avid gardener and chef, and left behind many recipes and flowers that still bloom in the yard. Susan was a beautiful, caring person who touched many lives, and she will be deeply missed.

She is predeceased by her parents, Phyllis and Robert Haigh, and by her brother, Robert. She is survived by her husband, Paul; her daughter Megan and husband James, and their son Danny; her son Drew and his wife Avery; and her sister Nancy. She is also lovingly remembered by her nieces, Jennifer and Caroline, who held a special place in her heart. 

A memorial service to celebrate Susan’s life will be held at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady on Saturday October 24th at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make a contribution to the United Way of the Greater Capital Region https://www.unitedwaygcr.org/ or to your own favorite charity in her name.