Susan Ione Lance Troutner

Susan Ione Lance Troutner, 80, of Bramwell, West Virginia, went to be with her Heavenly Father on January 20, 2026. Susan was born on August 3, 1945, in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, to Curtis Collier Cobb Lance and Vangie Marie Perdue Lance. The family lived in Maybeury, West Virginia, and Susan was the sixth generation of her family to live in McDowell County. In 1954, the family moved to Bramwell, where Curtis purchased the former Trinity Episcopal Church Rectory and made it their family home. The family attended Trinity Episcopal Church, where Susan was baptized.

Susan graduated from Bramwell High School in 1963, where she was a majorette and a member of FHA. She attended West Virginia Institute of Technology before leaving to marry in 1965. She and her husband, Tommy Thompson, both worked to put him through university. After ten years of marriage, their beloved daughter and “miracle baby,” Susan Emmeline “Emme” Thompson, was born in 1975. The family lived in eight states throughout the country, with Susan making a warm home with each move and providing West Virginia hospitality everywhere they lived.

Susan gave her life to the Lord in a Baptist church as a young woman, and He never left her—calling her to her occupation in 1978 in a face-to-face encounter, sustaining her life to bear much fruit for Him.

In 1985, at the age of 40, Susan returned to Bramwell with Tommy and Emme and fulfilled her dream of completing college and becoming a teacher. She graduated from Bluefield State University in 1986. She taught in Morgantown, West Virginia, and then in Morgan County, Ohio. There she built a 30-year career in education. In 1994, Susan earned her Master of Education degree from Ohio University. In 1995—on her 50th birthday—she became a school principal. Her students, both from her classroom years and her time as a principal, remained close to her heart for the rest of her life.

In 1997, Susan married Howard Troutner, the beginning of a fulfilling 29 year marriage that brought out the best in them both. When Susan was promoted from the principalship to Central Office, she and Howard worked as a team focused on improving and transforming the district’s schools for the benefit of children and educators alike. Together, they helped raise the District from “poor-performing” to a vibrant place where students and educators can create great lives. Upon learning of Susan’s passing, Morgan Local Schools wrote:

“Her impact was immense—she was known for her leadership, deep care for students, and unwavering commitment to excellence in education. Susan’s influence reached far beyond the classroom. She touched countless lives and helped shape the culture of learning and care that we value so deeply. She was greatly respected, and her legacy will continue to live on through the students, families, and staff members who were fortunate to know her.”

In 2005, while still working in Ohio, Susan took ownership of her childhood home, the Trinity Rectory, with a dream of restoring it and once again making it the family home. In 2017, Howard and Susan completed the restoration and returned to Bramwell to live near Susan’s siblings in her beloved West Virginia hills. Howard had lived his entire life in Ohio—80 years at the time—but made Bramwell his adopted home for the joy it brought Susan.

Although Susan retired from school administration, she almost immediately returned to one of her first loves—teaching. Her commitment to children was deep -- driven in part by her daughter Emme's classroom experiences, both good and bad -- but mostly by the Lord's call on her life. She chose McDowell County as the place to make her final professional impact. In 2018, she became a resource teacher at Anawalt Elementary School, expecting to teach reading or math -- only to discover she would be the gym teacher! The fact that Susan embraced this challenge with enthusiasm at age 72 speaks volumes about who she was. She loved playing dodgeball, “nuke ’em,” and kickball with her students—and they loved it too. After a brief time serving as Anawalt’s closing principal, she began teaching sixth-grade math at Mount View High School, where she taught with her trademark dedication and love until the time of her passing. She loved serving with her Mount View colleagues, but most of all she loved her students—loved teaching them, and loved each of them.

In 2021, Emme joined Howard and Susan in making Bramwell her home, making Susan’s life and plan complete. Susan loved the wildlife around her home, especially feeding the birds, and dreamed of one day making Bramwell a bird sanctuary. She loved genealogy and family stories and was proud that each of her family lines arrived in America before the 1700s. She cherished staying connected with cousins and sharing family history with them. She believed that living in a restored, multigenerational family home was one of life’s greatest blessings. She loved hosting Lance and Perdue family reunions, and Bramwell High School Class of 1963 reunions. She cherished accompanying Howard to his reunions in Northern Ohio, especially connecting with the other remarkable women in Howard’s extended family. A lifelong daredevil, even in recent years, Susan never passed up an opportunity to ride a roller coaster or Razor. Susan was a lifelong learner who, even at 80 years old and as a master teacher, eagerly embraced learning an entirely new way of teaching. And even though she was already the most wonderful wife and mother, she never stopped trying to grow and love more and better.

In addition to her husband, Howard, and daughter, Emme, Susan is survived by her sister, Frances “Frankie” Lance Sparks; brother-in-law Fred Sparks; brother Whitfield Lance; sister-in-law Bonnie Sue Lance; nieces Tammy Lance Galligher (Joe), Beth Sparks Haynes (Mark), Susan Sparks Gaither (Matt), and Leigh Casey Underwood (Mike); nine beloved great-nieces and nephews; and numerous dear cousins. She will also be missed by Dave and Kim Troutner, Dan and Jenny Troutner, all of Columbus, Ohio, and Doug and Kim Troutner of Massachusetts. She was blessed to be “Nana Susan” to the two Troutner granddaughters, Kaitlyn Dierksheide (Grant) and Rebecca Troutner; eight grandsons, Kyle (Sayaka), Jason, Timothy (Sarah), Peter (Emily), Stephen (Sarah), Nathaniel, Andrew, and Jonathan Troutner; and great-grandsons Ezra, James, and Henry Troutner. In addition to her parents, Susan was preceded in death by her brother Kermit Lance, sister Irene Lance, and half-sisters Ann Elaine Hill and Dorothy Jo Casey (Bob).

Susan was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Bluefield, West Virginia, and attended Lifeline Church of God in Princeton from 2021 until the time of her death. On her last day before her sudden passing, she was in the House of the Lord, next to her family, worshiping and hearing the Word of God. Susan’s most favorite and lifelong guiding verses included:

Psalm 121: 1-2 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Psalm 24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The family rejoices with the knowledge that she is with the Lord and they will see her again!

Friends and family are welcome to join us in celebrating Susan’s life on Friday, January 30, at Cravens-Shires Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and all are invited to the funeral at 1:00 p.m. Pastor Ryan Parks of Lifeline Church of God will preach the funeral. This will be followed by a short graveside service at Roselawn Memorial Garden, and a reception at Susan's home in Bramwell, the place she loved.