Susan Hoffstein Senter

Susan Ann Hoffstein Senter, 75, of Arlington, Virginia, passed away peacefully on December 22, 2024, in the intensive care unit at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, with her husband Meredith and son Brandon by her side. She had struggled for over six weeks with complications from pneumonia.

Susan, the eldest and favorite child of Eli and Lila Gordon Hoffstein, grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, with her three younger siblings, Joanne, Gordon and Lee Michael. After graduating Natick High School, Susan attended MacMurray College and Dean Junior College before transferring to the University of Michigan where she graduated in 1971 with a B.S. in Special Education. Her concern over people with special needs continued throughout her life.

Susan taught from 1973-1980 as a learning disabilities specialist at Cardinal Forest Elementary School in Springfield, Virginia, and earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia (M.Ed. Special Education 1978). While still teaching, she enrolled as a night student at the Georgetown University Law Center (J.D. 1982).

In 1982, Susan joined the law firm of Colton & Boykin where she worked on real estate syndication deals. She left the firm in 1989 to spend more time with her son. But in 1994, her former boss, Ken Peters, convinced her to join him at Freddie Mac, where she worked on bespoke financing transactions until her retirement in 2020.

Despite her demanding legal career, Susan’s life was always centered on her family and friends and pets. In 1980, Susan met Meredith by happenstance, and they married in 1985. Two years later, their beloved son Brandon arrived. Susan was an ever patient and nurturing mother and best friend and champion to Brandon. She was her Meredith’s rock.

Susan was famous in the neighborhood for tucking whimsical “critters” around the yard and loved watching children (and adults) discover them. She embraced every holiday, but especially Thanksgiving—always spent with extended family—and Christmas. Every December, she filled the house with her nutcracker collection and invited colleagues and their children to decorate gingerbread houses in her dining room—it was chaos but great fun.

Susan traveled extensively, but her favorite destination was Figure Eight Island, NC, where she vacationed for over 40 years.

During her few short years of retirement, Susan read voraciously, redecorated her house, replanted and rearranged her flower gardens, trained her puppy Loka, attended OLLI classes at American University and encouraged her wide circle of girlfriends to do the same. In the final months of her life, she supervised the renovation of her son’s town home, which her girlfriends promise to help complete.

Susan had a wonderful sense of humor. But most of all, she was a loving, warm, generous, caring, and kind person, attuned to the interests, concerns and needs of family and friends.

Susan dealt with lupus and its challenges for most of her life. She managed it with dignity and determination. Ultimately, however, the treatment left her severely immunosuppressed. As time passed, it took her longer to recover from an infection, and despite her strength, toughness and will to live, the last infection proved impossible to cure. The family thanks the dedicated team in the ICU.

Susan would also want to acknowledge Bob Brown, who has managed Susan and Meredith’s household for over 40 years and helped raise their son, and Kim Kruse, their trainer and Susan’s confidant for 26 years.

Susan is survived by Meredith and Brandon; siblings Joanne (Bruce, deceased), Gordon (Jody) and Lee Michael (Michele); and her nephews and nieces Corey (Lauren), Jenna (Toby), Kyle, Taylor (Chris), Craig and Kayla; and her aunt Marge (Brent). She was just as much a member of Meredith’s family: his brothers Max (Liz) and Michael (Nancy); and nieces and nephew Katie (Iris), Kenan and Mathilde. And she is survived by her sweet puppy Loka. She loved and looked out for every one of them. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Susan’s memory to the VHC Health Foundation, designated to the ICU, vhchealthfoundation.org/give. Even better, Susan’s family asks that, while you can, you remind the special people in your life how much you love and cherish them.

A celebration of Susan’s extraordinary life will take place at a future date.