Susan Maher Van Ness, 51, and her daughter Delilah Taylor Van Ness, 15, tragically passed away on September 8, 2024.

Susan Van Ness, born on December 31, 1972, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, lived a life dedicated to service, activism, and nurturing family, friends, and community. Delilah Van Ness was born February 7, 2009, in Waterbury Connecticut, and was a rising sophomore at Middletown High School, Middletown, Connecticut.

A graduate of Fairfield High School, Middlesex Community College, and Wesleyan University, Susan found her calling in nonprofit work and community service. Most notably, she served as the Chief of Programs at the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) and the Alliance for Period Supplies. Her decade-long tenure at NDBN was marked by her strength, vision, and compassion, which helped shape the organization and change countless lives. A significant part of her legacy at NDBN was organizing the annual U.S. Conference on Poverty and Basic Needs, a professional conference that brings together leaders of basic needs banks from across the country.

Susan brought an extensive background in community program administration to her work, which gave her a unique perspective on how a strong network of organizations can best serve the needs of local communities. Her diverse experience included administrative roles at Yale University and organizing and managing the North End Farmers Market in Middletown, where she developed programs promoting an equitable local food system. Susan also worked tirelessly to revitalize low-income neighborhoods in the town, and helped establish a home improvement business that created opportunities for individuals engaged in addiction recovery programs.

Her commitment to social justice extended beyond professional and local volunteerism; Susan was a passionate activist involved in workers' and civil rights protests. She would often recount with pride her arrest for civil disobedience alongside Rev. Jesse Jackson during a protest in New Haven, exemplifying her dedication to fighting for what she believed in.

Susan's meticulous attention to detail was evident in all her activities, both professional and personal. She was driven by DIY home renovation, continuously tackling small and large projects at her home with the goal of emulating family childhood homes on Arbor Terrace, Ludlow Court, and Hemlock Road in Fairfield. Susan's love for nature and animals was evident in her beekeeping hobby and her adoption of rescue dogs. Her witty, dry, and eccentric sense of humor had a way of injecting comfort and levity into awkward situations.

First and foremost, Susan treasured her role as mother to Delilah. She introduced Delilah to a world of ideas and activities with the hope of raising a child that would combine the best qualities of a nerd with those of a Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes), and who would grow to be a caring, community- minded adult. She fostered Delilah's vivid imagination early and sought non-traditional methods of challenging Delilah's curiosity, intelligence, and compassion. The two were inseparable, sharing a bond of trust and openness that was evident to all who knew them.

Delilah shined bright in early childhood education and activities, and continued to demonstrate that bright leadership spirit in high school. She attended Dolphin Days Preschool in Durham, as well as Wesley, Snow, and MacDonough Elementary Schools and Beman Middle School in Middletown. She was also active in the Kids Korner afterschool program in Middletown. Delilah spent several semesters at the Nature Year program at Common Ground in New Haven where she explored her love of nature and outdoor activities in a non-traditional classroom setting.

A natural performer and entertainer, Delilah portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West twice – once in a preschool performance and again with Middletown Stage Company. She was a member of an all-girl mountain biking team, Petal Power and was proud of her cello performances with the Shoreline Youth Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra.

Delilah's interests led her to the high school Drone and Flight Science Class and to earn her Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. She was also a member of Middletown Aerospace and was taking flight lessons to obtain a FAA private pilot license. This past summer she helped teach Middletown first responders how to fly drones and earn FAA certification. She was part of the Beman and Middletown High Robotics Teams at VEX Robotic Competitions. She also competed and won numerous awards at Connecticut and National Invention Convention.

Delilah always had a sketchpad in her pocket and would "doodle" intricate drawings on the fly. She loved spending time with her friends, riding bikes around Middletown or hanging out at Russell Library. While she inherited her mother's dry sense of humor, she was adamant about never using humor at the expense of others – kind and generous to a fault.

Susan and Delilah are survived by mother and grandmother, Eddy Jean Taylor Pelak of Trumbull; sister and aunt, Shari Van Ness of Middletown; sister and aunt, Megan Leahy Apicello and husband Nicholas of Waterbury; brother and uncle, Brian Leahy and Karalyn Mikucionis of Bridgeport. They will be missed dearly by two special aunts, Carol Rich of Lordship and Judith Brophy of Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as many close cousins, friends, and their beloved dogs, Finn and Olive. Susan and Delilah were predeceased by father and grandfather, David Van Ness (July 2017), and father and grandfather "Poppy" Steve Pelak (August 2024).

Funeral services for Susan and Delilah will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Fellowship Church, 1002 Saybrook Road, Middletown. The service will be available via livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/Epii-jr3qNk?si=McHQLaMyxlFhFp3B for those unable to attend the service.

A memorial fund has been established to help keep Susan's and Delilah's home and dogs in the family, and donations can be made at https://gofund.me/5c342728 . Separate memorial funds are being organized to support the National Diaper Bank Network and scholarships honoring Delilah. More information will be shared at a later time for those wishing to help continue their impactful work and ambitions and honor their memories.