By Lauren McSherry
Sue Dodson, a former Los Altos resident and wife of John Dodson, who served as pastor of the Los Altos United Methodist Church for two decades, was killed in a car accident Oct. 10. She was 71.
Mrs. Dodson was driving from their home in Felton to choir practice in Aptos when she was killed in a single-vehicle accident. She may have had a heart attack or stroke prior to the accident, said Mark Bollwinkel, current United Methodist pastor.
“This has been a very deep shock to this congregation,” Bollwinkel said. “We knew Sue for her graciousness, her warmth and her self-confidence. We’re all just feeling a terrible loss of a very dear person and a dear friend.”
Mrs. Dodson and John were married for 47 years. They met in the United Methodist Church, Bollwinkel said.
The Dodsons served churches in Arenda, Reno and Los Altos. John was senior pastor in Los Altos for 21 years.
For 17 years they lived in the parsonage on the church campus on Magdalena Avenue. Mrs. Dodson was active in the church and the community, The Los Altos Festival of Lights committee named the Dodsons the snow queen and king of the parade when they retired in 1998.
“(Sue and John) were very close and very active in the ministry,” Bollwinkel said. “They were a team and they supported each other as well as the ministry of the church.”
Mrs. Dodson earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and initially planned to become a professional artist. She obtained a master’s degree in higher education and ministry from Northwestern University and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She worked as the director of the YWCA of the University of Nevada, Reno. For several years, she served on the United Methodist National Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
Mrs. Dodson’s passion for travel was ignited after World War II when she traveled to Germany as part of a mission project to rebuild a town. Her interest became a viable profession. She worked as a Certified Travel Consultant for Ligtelyn Travel for 25 years.
“Sue led many, many tours with her husband around the world,” Bollwinkel said. “She had a passion for Latin America in particular.”
She continued to be involved in mission work and led a mission trip to an orphanage in Guatemala last year.
After their retirement, the Dodsons moved to Felton, where they joined the Aptos (Methodist) Church. Mrs. Dodson became a member of the handbell choir, continuing the bell playing she had performed in Los Altos.
On the day of Mrs. Dodson’s death, she and John spent the day at the opening of the de Young Museum in San Francisco. She was an art lover and avid supporter of the San Francisco opera and ballet.
“Sue was very much an artist,” Bollwinkel said. “She did painting, pottery and ceramic work. She loved the arts.”
Mrs. Dodson made sketches, painted watercolors and photographed sights from her travels. She had just started a class in Photoshop so she could “do something” with her thousands of photos. Her last project was the design of a postage stamp titled “The Good Life.”
“She continues to inspire us to do what she did so well-to love fully, embrace each day as a new adventure, reach out to those in need, and pursue her interests with passion and enthusiasm,” her family said.
Mrs. Dodson is survived by her husband; sons David, Mark and Richard; six grandchildren; and sisters Ardath Cade of Severna Park, Md., and Elinor Selkirk of Northampton, Mass.
A “Celebration of Life” is scheduled 2 p.m. Friday at United Methodist Church, followed by a reception on the church campus. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to LAUMC Gifts & Memorials, Sue Dodson Mission Fund; 655 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos, CA 94024.
