Susan Foster (26 Jul 1956 - 12 Sep 2026)

Sue’s Story

Early Life and Education:

Sue was born in Redditch and later moved with her family to Putney, London. She went on to study at Plymouth Polytechnic, before moving to Nottingham in the early 1980's. Nottingham would go on to become a hugely important part of Sue’s life: the place where she built her career, raised her family, developed lifelong friendships and became involved in the community around her.

Career and Family:

Sue began her career working in IT at John Menzies, before moving on to Zeda and later Experian. It was during her time at Experian that she first met Paul in 1989, although neither of them could have known at the time quite where life would eventually take them.
In 1991, Sue became a mum to Matt, a role that would always be one of the most important parts of her life. Later in her career, Sue went on to work with local councils, continuing a working life that spanned different organisations and roles.
There were also difficult losses along the way, including her younger brother Martin in 1998, and her dad Peter and mum Doreen in 2001.

Sue and Paul:

Although Sue and Paul had known one another since their days at Experian in 1989, their relationship began many years later. Their first date was in March 2010, beginning a partnership that would eventually span more than fifteen years. In wonderfully Sue-like fashion, it was Sue who proposed to Paul on 29th February 2024, making full use of the leap year. They married on 22nd March 2025, at St Wilfrid's Church.

A Life Filled with Music:

Music was one of the great constants in Sue’s life. She was an accomplished pianist and continued to challenge herself musically throughout adulthood. In 2020, she achieved her music diploma with distinction, something of which she was enormously proud. But music was never simply about qualifications or achievement. Sue loved chamber music, and played with numerous groups, from piano duets to trios, quartets, and quintets. For several years, Sue was also the piano accompanist for Mirabilé, a role she thoroughly enjoyed. Through all her music, she met many wonderful people, some of whom became lifelong friends.
For Sue, the piano was a source of enjoyment, expression and connection. Her recordings for Matt & Alisha's engagement party remain a particularly precious part of what she has left behind, a way of still hearing her play long after the room itself has fallen quiet.

Community and Friendship:

Sue's Christian faith was also an important part of her life. She attended St Wilfrid’s Church for more than 20 years, becoming part of the church community there and forming many valued connections. Sue also gave her time to the community around her. She was involved with Welcome Space and Good Companions, places centred around friendship, conversation and bringing people together. Sue and Paul also supported Filo, a girl living in Togo, through the charity Compassion, something that formed another quiet but meaningful part of the way they chose to help others. Sue was also a keen bridge player, regularly playing at Musters and at West Bridgford Bridge Club. She enjoyed both the challenge of the game and the friendships and company that came with it.
Those different parts of Sue's life reflected something important about her: she valued people, companionship, faith and community.

Family Milestones:

In August 2026, Matt and Alisha were married. Despite everything she was facing by then, Sue was able to be there with them for their wedding, an incredibly important day for the whole family and a memory that will always be treasured.

Sue’s Illness:

In June 2026, Sue was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, bile duct cancer. It is a rare and aggressive cancer and, until it affected our family, it was a disease most of us had never even heard of. Cholangiocarcinoma develops in the bile ducts, which carry bile from the liver and gallbladder towards the small intestine. Its symptoms can be vague and can resemble those of other illnesses, meaning that the cancer is often difficult to identify at an early stage. Sadly, by the time Sue was diagnosed, her cancer was advanced and inoperable.
Her illness progressed much more quickly than expected, but throughout those final months she remained surrounded by the people who loved her.

Supporting AMMF in Sue’s Memory:

In Sue’s memory, we would like to support AMMF: The Cholangiocarcinoma Charity, the UK and Europe’s only charity dedicated solely to cholangiocarcinoma. AMMF works to improve awareness and understanding of bile duct cancer among both healthcare professionals and the public, with the hope that more people can receive an earlier diagnosis. The charity also provides information and support to patients and their families at what can be an overwhelming and frightening time. Importantly, AMMF supports and funds research, helping scientists and clinicians understand the disease better, improve diagnosis and develop more effective treatments for the future.

We could not change what happened to Sue. But we hope that by supporting AMMF in her memory, something positive can come from what our family has experienced, and that other families facing this devastating disease may one day have more options and hope.

If you would like to make a donation in Sue’s memory, we would be incredibly grateful for your support of AMMF.

Sue was a mum, wife, pianist, colleague, friend and much-loved member of her community.

Her life cannot really be reduced to a collection of jobs, dates or achievements. It lives on in the people she loved, the friendships she made, the music she played and the memories she leaves behind.

And for those closest to her, she will simply always be Sue and Mum.

For Sue ❤️