Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2024 May)
In November 2023, the Golden Gazette received an email from a 13-year-old named Jonathan D’Cruz. He wrote to recommend that I feature his neighbor, 91-year-old Susan Voss, in the Golden Gazette. Citing her as his role model for when he gets older, Jonathan shared that Susan lived a busy and happy life while making a positive impact on the lives of those around her. Interest piqued, I wanted to meet the woman who inspired this unusual introduction.
Susan Voss was born and raised in Southern California. Growing up, her family was very active in sailing – an activity that became a lifelong passion for her. At age 18, Voss married her husband, Rick. One year later, he joined the U.S. Foreign Service and the couple moved to the East Coast. As their family grew to include two daughters and a son, the family spent about 15 years living abroad in six countries – Iraq, Uruguay, Singapore, Germany, Panama and the Philippines.
The family engaged in two of Voss’ favorite activities while living overseas – sailing and travel. In Germany, the couple and their three children, then ages 1, 3, and 5, toured and camped all over Europe in their Volkswagen Bus. The family purchased a boat while living in Manila and often enjoyed sailing. Opportunities to sail also came up when they lived in Panama. Sailing from Southern California to the Caribbean, family friends would call them, needing extra hands to work the lines while traveling through the Panama Canal. After the nine-hour trip through the canal, they would wave goodbye to their friends and hop on a train to return home.
In 1972, the family moved to the U.S. and settled in Vienna. While living in Panama, Voss had started taking college classes and continued her studies at George Mason University. To help her select a major, she took an aptitude test. “It said you like people, you like being organized and you’re curious. You should be a lawyer. I said, ‘that’s ridiculous, I’m never going to be a lawyer,’” Voss recalls. However, a seed had been planted, so Voss began taking courses to become a paralegal. After graduating, she decided that becoming a lawyer wasn’t a ridiculous idea after all, so at age 48 she went to law school, attending Georgetown University at night while working full time as a paralegal. Although it was difficult, she was grateful for her supportive husband, who was retired at the time and able to help shoulder some of the load. After graduating, Voss practiced real estate law dealing with resorts and condominiums.
Voss’ husband, Rick, passed away in 1994. She continued to work for several years while developing an interest in gardening. “I like being outside. I like working in the garden. I even like weeding. I’ve just gotten fascinated with the whole process,” she says. In 2003, she enrolled in a master gardening class at Green Spring Gardens, which led to her volunteering at the gardens. Finally, she decided to retire and devote all her time to the activities she loved, saying “When I got to the point when I had to come in from the garden to answer clients’ questions, I decided to retire.”
In 2007, Voss joined the board of the Friends of Green Spring Gardens (FROGS), a nonprofit organization that provides financial and volunteer support to the gardens. Her involvement has grown over the years, and she guesses that she now spends about half her time at Green Spring Gardens and the rest in her own garden. Originally, Voss worked with the horticulturists in the gardens, but now spends her time doing propagation, coordinating the art exhibits, preparing monthly plant guides for docents, and planning special events. Her own gardens have also grown and now consist of large front and back gardens with gardens on either side of her home. Her first attempts at gardening consisted of growing vegetables, but her interest grew to encompass a wide variety of plants. She no longer grows vegetables, preferring shrubs, perennials and a few annuals.
In addition to FROGS, Voss is active with many other volunteer and civic organizations. She volunteers with the Committee for Helping Others (CHO), an all-volunteer organization located in Vienna that provides emergency financial and other assistance to people living in Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring and Merrifield. She also volunteers with her local Shepherd Center, where she answers the phone, fielding transportation requests.
For over 10 years, Voss has been a member of the Vienna branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). In addition to enjoying the work they do to support women in education, she has also made many friends. Several members go to the movies together each month and Voss started a monthly book discussion group for AAUW members. This is in addition to the book group she belongs to at Green Spring Gardens, so Voss can often be found listening to an audiobook while working in her garden. She estimates that she listens to a book each week, using her hearing aids to listen via Bluetooth. “I consider them my $4,000 AirPods,” she jokes.
Voss continues to love sailing and has a cottage in Severna Park, MD, where she keeps a 30-foot catamaran. Her son shares her love of sailing and manages upkeep on the cottage and boat, so she joins him for sailing excursions.
Living abroad for years didn’t curb Voss’ love of travel. Over the years, she has visited places all over the globe, including China, Egypt, South America and the Galapagos Islands. However, her favorite place to travel is Africa, where she has gone three times, visiting Kenya, South Africa and Botswana. The last trip she took before the COVID-19 pandemic was a dream trip to Patagonia, where she observed ships navigating the channel around the southern tip of South America.
Over the last 20 years, she has shared her love of travel with her grandchildren by taking a special trip with each of them. She’s taken three of her grandchildren on separate trips to Los Angeles. She also took a tour of California wine country with one granddaughter not long after her granddaughter’s 21st birthday. One memorable trip was to Wyoming with her grandson, where the outdoor activities they enjoyed during their tour helped spark his love of outdoor recreation. She hasn’t forgotten that she still owes her youngest grandchild a trip.
About nine years ago, the D’Cruz family moved in next door and the neighbors soon became friends. Voss learned that Shona D’Cruz also enjoys gardening, so they decided to start sharing a supply of mulch every spring. Voss also enjoyed talking to Jonathan and his younger sister, Leah, while they played in their yard while she worked in her garden. The D’Cruz family are caring neighbors, doing things like calling and checking to make sure she is okay if they hear her dog barking at night, and bringing her newspaper to the front door every morning after she injured her knee. She is grateful to have such thoughtful and supportive neighbors.
Voss was surprised when she learned of Jonathan’s email to the Golden Gazette because she doesn’t consider herself a role model. She guesses that her active lifestyle inspired him to write, saying “I think that what he’s looking at with me is that I’m outside and active. Someone at my age who continues to be active and doesn’t just sit home and feel sorry for themselves.” Voss also has a high opinion of Jonathan, who she calls “quite remarkable,” and applauds his parents for how they support their children in all their activities.
In many ways, Jonathan D’Cruz is a typical 8th grader. He likes spending time with friends, reading fantasy books, practicing Taekwondo, and coding. He also plays upright bass and is a member of the Children's Chorus of Washington. What sets him apart are his powers of observation and thoughtfulness. He especially admires Voss for her determination. “She has so many excuses that she could say to stop doing the things she does – her age, a knee injury – but she keeps at it and keeps trying her hardest and keeps doing good for the community even though she doesn’t have to,” he says. Jonathan shares that observing her stick to her daily routine has inspired him to become more organized. As to why she is his role model for getting older, he shares what he has learned from Voss, saying, “Stay active. Also keep at your interests even though they might not be the easiest to do. It gives your life reason and meaning.”
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).