The Salvation Army Western Division Mourns the Passing of Susan Eustice, Director of Public and Media Relations
It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we share the news that longtime Salvation Army Western Division Director of Public and Media Relations Susan Eustice passed away Saturday, May 11, following a brief illness. Susan is survived by her husband, Bill, and three grown children. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Susan was best known as the “Voice of the Salvation Army” in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro, having been the Division’s spokeswoman for the entirety of her 21 years of service. However, the depth and breadth of her work reached far beyond that particular role.
First, she was widely regarded by the area PR community as one of the very best in the field. As a tireless promoter of all things Salvation Army, her work resulted in countless news media stories about the organization’s people, programs, events and awards in local and national media over the years.
Susan was also a pioneer, having founded or co-founded several of the Division’s longest-running charitable drives and special social-services efforts. Among these are: the D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon, which recently celebrated its twenty-first year and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for local Salvation Army youth programs; The Salvation Army KETV Back to School Backpack Drive, which, in two decades of operation, has resulted in more than 200,000 backpacks being distributed to families in need; and the Adopt-a-Family Radiothon, which marked its nineteenth year last winter, helping approximately 2,100 area families with Christmas gifts. Susan oversaw large-scale community-relations efforts with deep connections to the Division’s history as well—from those tied to disaster-relief work in rural areas to the move of our Divisional headquarters from midtown to west Omaha.
Most of all, Susan represented the heart of The Salvation Army. She constantly worked to uphold the motto of “Doing the most good.” Susan was always looking out for the welfare of others. She worked hard to improve the community in which she lived, and she always left people better than she found them. She was a beloved figure at our headquarters building, where she was a confidant to many and a friend to and supporter of all. She also represented The Salvation Army on numerous boards, committees and other groups in and around Omaha, in addition to leading several PR/communications professional associations.
We extend our deepest condolences to Susan’s family, friends and all who mourn her passing. The value of Susan’s work to our organization was immeasurable. Her legacy lives on, extending far beyond the three states that our Division serves. We, as her friends and colleagues, consider ourselves immensely blessed to have worked alongside her—even more so to have known her as a friend.