FRANKLIN
Mary Susan Bland (Susan) was born on 3/25/1942 in Staten Island, New York to John J. Fogarty and Dorothy (McDermott) Fogarty. She is predeceased by her former husband, Leonard A. Bland.
Susan leaves behind to treasure her memory: Heather Bland-Ho (Néstor) of Austin, TX, Leo Bland (Jess) of Sussex, WI, Rachel Hauschildt (Tony) of Savage, MN, and Craig Bland (Jill) of Franklin, IN.
Susan will live forever in the hearts of her 11 adored, “can-do-no-wrong” grandchildren:
Sofia, Nicolas, Benjamin, Ethan, Alexa, Jackson, Sabrina, Tyler, Carsten, Cooper & Noelle.
Susan graduated from Caldwell College for Women in 1963 with a B.A. in Social Studies. She taught in the inner-city parks of New York City before her marriage to Leonard (Len) Bland on Oct. 30, 1965. The couple lived in Mannheim, Germany for 2 yrs while Len was stationed there as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Susan took advantage of this adventure and travelled by bus as often as she could to see different European cities.
Susan raised her children at home for 20 years, reading countless books, making after school snacks, driving carpools and cheering her kids on in whatever sports they played (baseball being her favorite.) After launching her children, she took a job at the Johnson Co. Memorial Hospital cafeteria, rising to the rank of Supervisor before retiring in 2011. Susan retired to take on the job of daycare provider/ Professional Grammy for her 3 youngest grandchildren, who live in Franklin.
One of Susan’s greatest joys was traveling with the people she loved; Lake of the Ozarks, the Texas Coast, Italy and her family’s native Ireland (where she discovered other Fogartys) were all special trips. Even a simple trip to the zoo or a park would make her day, as long as she was with her grandkids.
Grammy’s family is her lasting legacy and a true representation of her love and caring for others. Her favorite activities included spending time visiting her family, playing cards, watching her grandkids play their sports and listening as those grandkids described what was going on in their lives. One of them said, “Everything is just a little more special after you tell Grammy about it.”
Grammy valued education and she loved local baseball; contributions in her memory can be made to either the Franklin Education Connection or to the Grizzly Baseball Club. She was also member of Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church.
Father Tim DeCrane will conduct a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 114 Lancelot Drive, Franklin, Indiana 46131 with Visitation on Saturday, June 3 from 9:30 a.m. to time of Mass at the church.
Expressions of caring and kindness may be received to the family at www.flinnmaguire.net
