It's interesting to me that in the long list of types of relationships the person offering condolences could have to the deceased on this website's template "employee" isn't a choice that's offered.
Maybe not many former employees of a deceased person fill out condolences? Especially not ones who were employed by the deceased during the Reagan administration as I was.
But here I am.
I can't type well on my phone (or honestly at all) being one of the white male dinosaurs who didn't have to learn to type well because we outsourced that function to our underpaid staff. It's probably a good thing in this instance because otherwise I'd ramble on even longer.
I believe I met Susan in 1984 or 1985. I was employed as an Assistant Attorney General in the West Virginia Attorney General's Office. She had a case in West Virginia, actually in my hometown, representing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).
More later.
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Jenkins Family, my sincere condolences. Losing someone you love is never easy, and it’s even harder when their life feels cut short.
The Bible gives us real comfort at John 11:11, Jesus compares death to a peaceful sleep, and Jehovah promises to wake our loved ones again. Acts 24:15 reminds us of that beautiful hope of the resurrection. May this hope give you comfort and strength as you look forward to seeing Susan again.
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Sending all my love to Susan's family during this time. Susan was an inspiring, kind, and brilliant role model to me. May her memory live on in all that she accomplished and all those she inspired. Prayers for her and her family.
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My deepest sympathy to all! I will always remember Susan for her kindness and support when I worked for what was WPPB in Southampton, NY.
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Love and prayers for the family. Her memory is a blessing to all midwives.
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I met Susan nearly two decades ago around home birth justice work. She was such an amazing force for good. Sending my deepest condolences to all who loved her! Mat her memory be a blessing.
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Susan was my classmate at Columbia Law and later she and Shantih were kind enough to let me be their roommate in DC after we graduated. Susan struck me immediately as remarkable. Terribly smart and witty and funny. Self effacing warm and generous. We came to know each other more intimately as roommates. I came to appreciate how brilliant Susan was and innovative in her career aspirations. She helped so many people in a field that she helped create. I was a witness to her falling in love with Ernie. She certainly met the man of her dreams. A more compatible and loving partner does not exist. I was also a witness to Susan's love for Shantih and Shantih's for her mother. I feel a real loss. I got to connect with all of them in the last 3 years in Albuquerque and San Juan. My daughter and I had discussed visiting Susan and Ernie in 2026. My fondest condolences go to you Ernie and Shantih. She was unique and she leaves us all a special legacy of love. Love Mary Sandoval and Carlos Rodriguez.
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Susan was such an incredible mentor to so many. I met her many years ago when I would tag along to midwifery conferences with my mom. Susan was always willing to talk to me in the early years of my legal career when I was trying to figure out how to use the law to make birth better in this country. I so often think of the mold she forged for all of us working on matters of birth, midwifery, policy, and the law. She will be remembered as a kind, supportive person and brilliant leader, and I will hope to honor her legacy in my work.
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Such a huge pillar of support for Birth Justice and midwifery care, Susan will be sorely missed.
Condolences to her family, which always came first and those who loved her most!
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This is so incredibly sad. Susan had a brilliant and strategic legal mind – always connecting the dots and ahead of the curve. She was powerful and principled, and an invaluable advocate for midwifery. I loved connecting with her at MANA conferences; conversations with her were exciting! She was a force of nature. This is a huge loss for our community and for birthing families in the US.
Rest in peace, Susan. Thank you for everything.
~ Priya
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Such huge loss for us, may you rest on peace Susan! I was blessed to work with Susan on legislative issues/strategy and part of that work was the gift of getting to hear about all of her legendary political and legal strategies on cases and legislation all over the country. Such a smart, dedicated woman. I am so deeply grateful for all of her contributions to help midwifery and humane birth options.
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I met Susan from afar when she learned of my situation through Lamaze Intl. I was in a brutal fight I had not asked for with two OBs and a hospital who attacked the success of the childbirth and breastfeeding program I was assigned that suddenly dropped the cesarean and epidural rate’s significantly. The attacks on my position and character were brutal yet she helped me immensely and counseled me all without a fee. I was in shock yet I could not have survived that ordeal without her superpowers and kindness. She was fierce yet she loved everything that protected childbirth, women and children. May God bless her a million fold in the next life. Thank you Susan for your kindness to me, you are always a hero 🙏🏼♥️🙏🏼
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I met Susan when I first moved to Albuquerque in 2013 as a young doula and loved learning about her amazing life through her stories. I went to her house for Thanksgiving, shared meals at Church St. Cafe in Old Town, and spent plenty of time chatting about all things birth in her sunny home office. Susan was so generous—in the summer of 2024, she and Ernie graciously hosted my entire family (including two kids) for free for over a week on their property. I am so thankful for Susan's kindness, spirit, energy, intellect, and commitment to birth rights. We would not be the same without her.
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Susan has had such an incredible impact on advocacy for birthing women and midwives, and on me and so many of my peers in this work, that it is hard to imagine where we would all be without her vision, leadership, and support. In addition to blazing a trail that the rest of us lawyers for birthing rights and justice are continuing to build, she was so supportive to me as a young mother trying to make a career as a lawyer while balancing pregnancy and babies. I will always be grateful for her as a role model, and strive to help carry on the legacy she has entrusted to us.
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Susan, I can’t believe you are gone. It was an absolute honor to know you and work with you. I am so grateful for our last conversation and I wish I had the opportunity to meet you in person after working together so many years virtually. The world is better place because of you.
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Susan Jenkins is a master gardener.My relationship with Susan and her beloved Ernest goes back 40 years to 1985 in Washington, DC. Besides her deep and enduring friendship, intelligence and extraordinary contributions in the field of law, Susan's skills as a gourmet chef and gardener were equally impressive. We grew closer when she and Ernest invited my wife and me to visit their New Mexico ranch complex transformed from a former Catholic Retreat. It was 2007 and since I was between jobs, it was a perfect time to explore outside my comfort zone. Susan and Ernie's hospitality turned a visit into an epic crash course in Southwestern history and culture. Ernie, a native of the former Spanish territory, and Susan took us for numerous car tours across the state. Within weeks "La Bajada", "Acequia", "Isleta", "Truth or Consequences", "Hatch chili peppers", "Cochiti", "Tres Leches Cake", "Illuminaria", "Santuario de Chimayo" and "Taos", were not just words but experiences with deep, cultural meaning.It was the foundation of Susan and Ernie's personal and professional support that I found, not just a job, but a path to establish FNX: First Nations Experience, a public broadcasting TV channel celebrating Indigenous cultures that provided many jobs.
You might say, I am one of many flowers that took bloom in Susan's garden.
Thank you, Susan
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Susan's passing is a great loss to midwives and birthing families of this world. She was a fierce resource for those fighting to choose where and with who to give birth.
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May her memory be a blessing to you all. Big Push Iowa Chapter is grateful to Susan’s support and advocacy throughout the years. Her legal opinions, support and wise counsel assisted our efforts (for over 15 years) of legalization and licensure for our midwives and birth centers in Iowa. Thank you for always carrying the torch, Susan. Your light gave us hope, confidence and the courage to do the work. Peace.
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