Susan Kay Andrews

Susan Kay Keeler Andrews died February 10, 2024, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.

She was born Susan Kay Keeler on July 23, 1944, to the late Chester and Dorothy (Lantz) Keeler in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She attended New Haven schools, excelling in her classes with high grades, especially business courses. As a high school junior, she won the Tri-State Invitational Typing and Shorthand Contest. She was also active in the marching band and her 4-H club, entering sewing and baking projects at the fair every year.

After New Haven High School graduation in 1962, Susan took a secretarial position at a life insurance company for one year and lived at home. Although she found that job tedious and dull, she was determined to save every paycheck in the hope of affording “just one year” of college. She strongly believed that higher education was a pathway to a better life and hoped she could benefit from even a partial experience. 

Indiana State University was her chosen school, and she arrived in Terre Haute with a single suitcase. She declared high school business education as her major and pledged Sigma Kappa sorority. Her dream of one year of college turned into four, fully funded by her secretarial job in the ISU Athletics Office. She also met her future husband Richard Andrews on campus; they were married July 23, 1966.

After college graduation in 1967, Susan taught typewriting, stenography, and business classes at Northwest High School in Indianapolis and then at Solon High School after she moved with her husband to the Cleveland area.

Susan moved with her family to the west side of Indianapolis after her daughter Amy was born in 1970. Her son Craig arrived in 1973. She decided to be a stay-at-home mother and called raising babies and toddlers the happiest years of her life. It was during those years that Susan first heard a clear explanation of the gospel at Chapel Rock Christian Church. She placed her faith in Jesus Christ and from then on trusted Him with her life and grew in her faith.

In 1978, she moved with her family to Zionsville. As her children grew older, she took part-time classes at Butler University for a master’s degree in education, which she was awarded in 1982. The following year she and her family moved to Independence, Kansas.

In 1986, after she and her husband parted ways, she found herself a single mother of teenage children. Susan courageously moved from Kansas back to Zionsville to be near family and start over. She was highly concerned about finding a teaching job after being out of the workforce so many years as well as the advancement of technology that made typewriters and stenography obsolete. She accepted a position teaching mass media classes at Guion Creek Middle School in Pike Township and earned glowing reviews from teaching peers and principals. Although mild mannered and quiet in voice, Susan held the respect of her junior high classrooms. Without any other chaperones, she regularly led school bus field trips to observe local programs being taped in downtown Indianapolis television stations, followed by lunch at a fast-food restaurant.

After a few years Susan transferred to the Business Department at Pike High School. She taught computer keyboarding skills and introduced her students to local area networks. In 2000, Susan became the first high school teacher in the state of Indiana to become a Certified Novell Administrator. Eight students under her guidance also passed the highly technical and extremely difficult exam.

For years after Susan retired from Pike Township Schools in 2008, she was regularly called to substitute teach or fill in for maternity leaves at the high school. She usually turned down these requests so she could do what she loved: spend time with her grandchildren, serve at Venture Christian Church, participate in Bible studies, play golf, and host her bridge group. She belonged to the Penny Putters golf league and the SullivanMunce Cultural Center Guild, both in Zionsville. Another favorite membership was the PEO philanthropic organization. 

Susan is survived by her children Amy (Jason) DeWitt of Westfield and Craig (Irma) Andrews of Whitestown; grandchildren Grant, Olivia, Rachel, and Natalie DeWitt and Sofia Andrews; and brothers Laurence (Adelle) Keeler of Angola, Indiana, John (Karon) Keeler of Prescott, Arizona, and Cary (Mary) Keeler of Angola, Indiana.

Her family would like to thank the staff of Rose Senior Living Reflections, Paradigm Health hospice agency and nurse Tammy DeRue, and companion Davon Gary for their excellent care and support.

Visitation is from 9:30 – 11:00 am Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Flanner Buchanan – Zionsville with service at 11 am. 

Memorial contributions may be made in Susan’s name to Venture Christian Church, Carmel, or the SullivanMunce Cultural Center of Zionsville.