Susan Hurd Machamer

(HOLLEY/MURRAY)

Susan Hurd Machamer passed away on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Born August 1, 1933 to Leland and Betty Hurd of Holley, New York, she is survived by daughters Mary, Amy and Molly Machamer, brother Zeke Hurd, grandchildren Annabelle Mannard, Amelia Sidonio, Annie and James Agar, sons-in-law George Mannard, Joe Sidonio and Mike Agar, numerous cousins, her remarkable Hurd Orchards family and household helpers, for whom she was so grateful. She is predeceased by her beloved husband Jeff, and her mother and father.

Sue was raised in Holley, New York, her early years spent freely in orchards and pastures on the family fruit farm, Hurd Orchards. Proudly she baled hay with the team, and got her chauffeur’s license the day she turned sixteen specifically to drive truckloads of cherries to the factory. Sue was a graduate of Holley High School (1951), a Delta Gamma and a graduate of Cornell University in journalism (1955), and received her Master’s degree in teaching from the University of Rochester (1956).
It was at Cornell where she met her lifelong partner Jeff, in freshman English class. Their time at Cornell proved pivotal to their futures, as there they were exposed to ideas, professors and friends from around the world. That experience made a deep impact and helped shape their world view, instilling a lifetime love of learning and endless curiosity about people, places, and our planet.
Sue lived a fiercely proud life: she was every inch a lady, with a will of steel cloaked in grace, gentility and integrity. She was a force of nature: infinitely capable, independent, insightful, always interested, witty and sharp - and with the confidence to be different. Her deepest wish was to be of service to the world around her.

Sue and Jeff raised their three daughters, with stints in Waukasha, Wisconsin; Montreal, Quebec; Morency, Arizona; Winter Haven, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Oakville, Ontario; and Arlington, Virginia. They made lifelong friends during each chapter and in each place, cherishing new connections and embracing their new communities and adventures enthusiastically.
With similar spirit, Sue was a passionate world traveler, proud to have embarked on her first solo European trip in 1955 with a Cornell study tour. Over their lifetime together, Sue and Jeff traveled far and wide, with Jeff’s explorations and geological expertise often taking them off the beaten path to places like Turkey, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Brazil, Sweden, Norway, Cornwall, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. With every trip, Sue brought her genuine joy for the world back home, laden with stories, amazing treasures and new traditions, like hosting colorful Turkish Tea Parties with her grandchildren.

Sue was first a teacher. With fun and creativity, she instilled her enthusiasm for learning into young people, from elementary through college age. She shared her love of music and the keyboard by teaching students piano all along the way.
Sue returned to Hurd Orchards to farm full-time with her family in 1985, forging her own unique path forward and bringing sparkle and determination to the family enterprise. With her inspiration, fresh ideas blossomed and whole new chapters of possibility took root: acres of blueberries planted; experimental apple orchards established; the flagship Thanksgiving Tastings envisioned, and an honest-to-goodness barn raising.

Sue fell in love with the piano by the age of six, and became an avid student of a local professional pianist, ultimately becoming an accomplished pianist in her own right. Her incredible ability to play any kind of music easily by ear was fostered by playing live performances in a dance band, Nine Hits & A Miss, as a teen. Later, she studied organ, learning to play the pipe organ at Cornell’s Sage Chapel. For decades, she contributed her talent as the organist for the Holley Presbyterian Church, playing the instrument her ancestors had brought down the Erie Canal. With a profound love for both classical and sacred music, she was deeply proud to bring music to life for many.
Some of Sue’s favorite things were bright, sunshiny days, ripe black sweet cherries, crunchy dill pickles, Rachmaninoff concertos and Chopin preludes. And of course Jeff, her trusted and most beloved husband of 67 years.

There will be no calling hours. Family and friends are invited to join with Susan’s family in a Celebration of Her Life on Sunday October 18th at 2 PM in the First Presbyterian Church of Holley, 34 E. Albion St., Holley, NY, 14470.

For those wishing to remember Susan with a memorial donation, they may be sent to: The First Presbyterian Church of Holley (address above), The National Trust for Historic Preservation (savingplaces.org) or The Cornell Club-New York (cornellclubnyc.com).
Susan’s arrangements have been entrusted to the Christopher Mitchell Funeral Home of Holley.
To share a special memory of Susan, please visit: www.mitchellfamilyfuneralhomes.com