Mrs. Susan Wozniak Akridge

Mrs. Susan Wozniak Akridge, age 56, of Toccoa, passed away Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

The totally sensational Susan Akridge departed for her great gig in the sky on July 26, 2025. She leaves behind a trail of glitter, sunshine, and joy. Susan’s story started on October 7, 1968 in Utica, New York. She moved with her family to Arkansas before settling in Rome, Georgia.

Her creative talent was evident as soon as she was born. Susan was an incredible ballet dancer, and she practiced her piano religiously. When she wasn’t tickling the keys, Susan played her trumpet with an energy and verve only she could manage. Her talent also extended into athletics, and she loved practicing basketball with her father. In addition, Susan was a “card shark” and board game enthusiast. She spoke so fondly about playing gin with her parents and grandparents, and she loved zooming around the Monopoly board with her sister. But her main passion has always been music. Susan was dedicated to her high school marching band. Her infectious optimism and leadership made her the perfect band captain during her senior year. Susan was also an academic genius, with a proclivity for math. Susan graduated, with honors, from West Rome High School in 1987. She went to West Georgia College, where she met her partner in crime, love, and life, Mark Akridge. Together, they played the trumpet for the West Georgia Marching Braves. During college, she continued fostering her creative talent by working incredibly hard to earn a Bachelor in Music Education, with a minor in Math. When she wasn’t studying or practicing her instruments, Susan was committed to her sorority, Chi Omega, whose motto encapsulates Susan’s spirit: “To be womanly always; to be discouraged never.” In addition, she was also involved in the musical sorority, Sigma Alpha Iota. Somehow, she still found time to be the life of the party! Her friends, band mates, and sorority sisters could always count on her quick wit and hilarious high energy. Susan certainly knew how to command a room!

After graduating summa cum laude, Susan joined Mark at the altar on November 21, 1992, and they officially started their life together. The first stop on their journey was Gainesville, Georgia, where Susan was the band director for Gainesville High School. After one year, her servant’s heart was called to become a nurse. Susan became a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s oncology unit. Her comforting affect and empathetic spirit brought solace, relief, and support to so many patients. However, Susan felt led to let her creative genius fly, so she became the music teacher at Big A Elementary School in Toccoa, Georgia in 2000. Her endless love, selflessness, and energy made her an instant favorite! During her 15 years at Big A, she gave of herself entirely to create a space for every student. Susan was always willing to try new things in her classroom, like “recorder karate” and square dancing. Susan grew her career by earning her Master’s in Education in 2009. In 2014, she transferred to Stephens County High School. Here, she served as the drama teacher and chorus director for two years before becoming the business and education teacher for one additional year. Susan then returned to teaching her beloved elementary students at Liberty Elementary School. Then, in 2024, she made her final transition to Stephens County Middle School, where she served as the chorus and drama teacher.

In all of these positions, Susan’s greatest feats were creating unequivocally transcendent masterpieces of stage productions, including Seussical the Musical, Legally Blonde: The Musical, and High School Musical. She also loved comedic one-acts, and expertly directed the casts of Check Please and Hard Candy. It was amazing what Susan could accomplish with a small budget and an endless supply of elbow grease! Her productions were a family and community affair. It seemed like everyone pitched in to donate material, paint sets, memorize lines, perform, and attend shows. However, no one was more involved than her husband Mark. She frequently talked about how her productions wouldn’t have been possible without his love and support. Through her shows, Susan taught respect, cultivated creativity, and allowed space for everyone’s freak flag to fly! She was just as talented on stage as off. Through the Stephens County Community Theater, she starred as the magnificent showgirl “Dolly Tate” in Annie Get Your Gun. She was also “Marty Maraschino” in Grease, a character just as dedicated to love as Susan. However, whether on-stage, behind the scenes, or in the classroom, Susan’s magnum opus were her children.

Mark and Susan happily welcomed Morgan Ann on January 16, 1995. From the beginning, it was evident that Morgan inherited her mother’s fighting spirit, leadership, and high-achieving personality. Katie came along on August 22, 1997. She is proud to carry on Susan’s legacy of humor and confidence. To both her daughters, she gave the gift of her unconditional love, unwavering support, musical talent, and steadfast spirit. Susan will also be deeply missed by her parents Richard and Cookie Wozniak of Rome, Georgia, her sister Mary Harper (Andrew), nieces Hannah Kumpf and Olivia Harper, as well as numerous cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends. Susan was a totally singular individual and a talented phenomenon who was larger than life. Her creative genius inspired countless people. She was the brightest spot in a dark world.

To celebrate Susan’s final bow, in lieu of flowers, please make donations to Stephens County Middle School’s Choral Program. Money can be sent to SCMS (1315 Rose Lane, Toccoa, GA 30577), and checks should be made payable to Stephens County Middle School in memory of Susan Akridge. In honor of Susan, be sure to “get some sun,” tell a joke, “enunciate your words,” do hard things, love big, be fearless, play a game with your family, be bold and LOUD, don’t take yourself too seriously and lighten up, remember “they’re just people and we’re all living life for the first time,” forgive easily, sing at the top of your lungs, dance like no one is watching, and always check your key signature!

Visitation with the family will be Wednesday, July 30th, 2025 at Whitlock Mortuary in Toccoa, Georgia from 5pm-7pm. A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, July 31st, 2025 at the Tugaloo Center for the Performing Arts at Stephens County High School in Toccoa, Georgia at 4pm. WEAR YOUR BRIGHTEST COLORS AND SEQUINS!