Remembering Susan Menanson
May 7, 2019
English teachers Carol Hobbs and Susan Menanson attend the 2014 graduation ceremony. | Submitted photo
On April 29, 2019, a beloved teacher and an intelligent soul passed away.
Susan Menanson, a teacher at Hudson High School for 25 years in the English Department was 69 years old when she passed from an illness.
Menanson had retired from HHS just a year before her passing. She had plans to go back to Australia, where she had spent 15 years teaching English.
“She was a great teacher, and always knew how to make my writing better than I thought it could be,” said senior Mackenzie Chaves, “She will be missed by everyone.”
Menanson not only made an impact on teaching sophomores at HHS but also had an impact on fellow teachers.
“She has a big voice, a kind heart and a great sense of humor,” said Media Teacher Linda Chilton. Not only was Menanson a great teacher, but a truly well-rounded individual who touched everyone, including students and teachers.
As a reporter, it is essential that I stay objective in my writing and not editorialize a news article, but as a former student of Menanson, I’d be remiss to not recount my memories of her.
It is impossible to write a remembrance without Menanson’s love for Shakespeare, and writing also personally helped me. With my final MCAS during sophomore year, I was nervous to write the essay everyone had constantly been talking about, but Ms. Menanson was prepared from the start.
It was her teaching on how to write a truly great essay and analyzing Macbeth is what got me an advanced score. I used Macbeth as an example in my essay and used everything she taught me to form the best essay I could have written. Without Ms. Menanson, I would not have been the kind of writer I am today.
Although she is gone from our lives, Menanson will never be forgotten. Senior Hannah O’Brien shared her thoughts, “She was a really great teacher and influenced me every time I had her class, I will never forget her.”
Brett Davidson • Feb 12, 2020 at 10:07 pm
This is a really late comment, coming from Melbourne (Australia). Today I have been listening to a radio program, in which some noted Melbourne writers spoke about certain high school English teachers who had a profound effect on them, and specifically provided a platform for their later careers.
My thoughts turned to Miss (Susan) Menanson – who was my English teacher across three different years (79, 80 and 83) at Kerang Technical High School down here in Australia. Through the wonders of the internet I found out where she had been, and of course, see news here of her passing. I’m sorry I didn’t find her early enough to thank her for the challenge and inspiraton she provided to me in my high school years.
She was a wonderful teacher. Moreover, she opened my eyes to the wonders of a world far wider than the small rural town I grew up in.
RIP
Todd Wallingford • May 10, 2019 at 9:11 am
Thank you for your beautiful remembrance, about a beautiful soul. Ms. Menanson made thousands of Hudson students better writers and sharper readers.
Her commitment to her students and colleagues persisted to her retirement. Throughout her career, she helped so many teachers develop their craft through collaboration and by sharing insights gleaned from practice, research, and experimentation. She was the real deal.