Sandy Creek Central School District

Pictured is SCCS English teacher, Susan Bitz with her stuffed mascot.

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Pictured is SCCS English teacher, Susan Bitz with her stuffed mascot.

On Saturday, July 27, Sandy Creek Central School lost it’s heart, in the form of a beloved teacher and above all friend, Susan Bitz.
Bitz came to Sandy Creek as a student at age 15. She received her bachelor of science degree from LeMoyne College and her master’s in education degree from SUNY Oswego. She began substitute teaching in 1995 and was hired as a full-time English teacher in 1997.
She served as class advisor, drama club advisor and pen-in-hand advisor. Bitz was a recipient of the Wall of Distinction at Sandy Creek Central School, for graduates who have throughout their lives, shown a high level of professionalism, distinction and high level of moral character as to represent a positive role model to students in the school district. She was past president of the Sandy Creek Teachers Association, Sandy Creek little league, a member of the Friends of the Ainsworth Memorial Library, the Sandy Creek Grange, Dollars for Scholars and the Humane Society. She previously owned the Rainbow Bridge Book Store in Pulaski and the Klondike restaurant in Redfield. She has one sister, Peggy Lou and one brother, Gerry. She was predeceased by the love of her life, Bruce Archibee.
She was known as Mama Sue to many of her students and friends and can be best remembered by the slogan “life is good” and  “always wear a rain coat.” She loved sports, especially football and was a true Buffalo Bills  and diehard Sandy Creek fan.“She called the boys on the football team, her gentlemen,” laughed football mother, Anna Brown. “She was more than a teacher and friend but she was part of our family.”
Brown’s son, Zach will be a senior this year and just had custom football cleats made with S. Bitz and his number on them in Bitz’s honor.
“She was the most selfless person I know and she treated her students as if they were her own children,” said football mother, Brenda Yerdon. She was very involved in the football program, every Thursday night during the season she would volunteer her time and make spaghetti dinners for the team and cheerleaders. Not only her time but a majority of the cost for the food was picked up by her. She was also very involved with the wrestling program, she made breakfast and lunch for tournaments that were held at Sandy Creek. She was an exceptional teacher and always encouraged her students to think outside the box, be creative and keep your mind open to new ideas. Students went to her for encouragement and advice and always went away with a valuable lesson. As a friend you couldn’t have asked for a better one, she believed in me when I had trouble believing in myself. On my last visit with her, she told me that if she ever wrote a book it would only say this ‘Think’, she said that if you think about things,  everything else would fall in to place. She was a very positive person and no matter how sick her body became her spirit remained strong.”
“I didn’t get to have Ms. Bitz in the classroom but she was the first one to have confidence in me on the football field and mentally helped me to be the player I was capable of becoming,” said Jake Benedict, SCCS senior. “She made our team a tight knit family through all of those delicious spaghetti dinners.”
“Sue Bitz was a mother to all her students, she found good in all children,” said her co-worker, Tonya Yerdon Trudell. “She gave of herself and volunteered for everything. She was the most well-read woman I ever met, as a matter of fact, many of us that taught at school said if ever we were on a game show she would be our ‘phone-a-friend’. She graced our halls with humor, and honesty. She pushed our students to reach their potential and allowed them to be who they were and embrace who they were. There will never be a teacher like Sue Bitz again, a lover of language, learning and people.”
“Now that I have spent some time on the other side of the desk, it is incredible how much love and time Ms. Bitz devoted to our community,” said SCCS graduate Scott Luberto.  “It was no surprise that when I needed advice about teaching that she was the first name to pop into my mind. That is because I, like countless of her other students, viewed her as much more than just an amazing teacher. For us, she is family. When I try to think of ways to improve my relationships with struggling students, I always just ask myself what would Ms. Bitz do. However, I have to be careful when I do that because as I recall everything did, seems almost unfathomable. As I process every big and little thing that she did to express her love for her students it is hard to believe she is just one person. Her level of support for her students would definitely rival that of any diehard European soccer fan. Not only did she stop by her students’ games and other activities, but she seemed to be more of a permanent fixture. I cannot recall a time when I was at a football game, or any other sporting event, that she was not right there cheering on the Comets. This does not include drama club, the awards banquets, band and choir concerts, talent show, or the infinite other events she took the time to attend.
“Yet, most memorable for me, I remember her at the wrestling matches. There are few moments as purely delightful as ending a three-day fast, successfully weighing in, and running to the cafeteria to enjoy the amazing breakfast that she had cooked.  Beyond the classics she beat into our brains, she did something much more important, she taught us valuable life skills. She taught us the importance of pure kindness and a sense of community. She made us curious and passionate about learning and then gave us the skills necessary to feed that inquisitive fire.”
“Ms. Bitz changed my entire life,” said Deanna Buley. “I went to her with things I couldn’t tell anybody else. She was the first person I came out to, and she just said ‘love is beautiful, you are a beautiful person, so no matter who you choose to give your heart to, that love will be beautiful.’  I wrote that down as soon as she said it because I wanted to remember it forever. She scared me in drama club, but brought out the best in me, even when I thought I did my best already she said I could be better. I think that’s what was so special about her, she made everyone better.”
“Ms. Bitz was an amazing person, we all looked up to her and at her for so many different things,” said SCCS 2013 graduate, Karrina Snyder. “I personally know she was always there for me especially when I hit a really rocky patch this past year, she was always there for me to talk to and always gave me the most honest advice, whether she thought I’d like it or not. I loved that I could talk to her about my daughter and know she would have never judged me. I really don’t know where I would have been at such a rough patch in my life if it wasn’t for her non- judgmental guidance. She truly is one of the most inspiring people in my life.”
“I guess I feel that she lived for the community from day one,” said SCCS alumni, Kimberly Presley Hitchcock. “She was known as Mama Sue for a reason, she was a person who genuinely cared. She saw her colleagues and friends as family and her students literally as her children. She never let them down, rarely missed a game and was part of any milestone she could be.”
“Sue could always be seen at school functions,” said SCCS co-worker, Brandy Snyder-VanRy. “She would brave any weather to cheer “her kids” on.  She organized and did weekly spaghetti dinners for varsity football players and cheerleaders.  She was a straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is teacher, teachers’ union president, co-worker, and friend.”
During Sue Bitz’s last few months, she was cared for by many of her dear friends, including Mary Maurer, Sam and Mark Ritcher, Diane Archibee and Dawn Ouderkirk, to name just a few.
Respecting her wishes, there will be no calling hours or funeral services but a gathering of friends and celebration of her life. This will be held on Aug. 10, at the Lacona fireman’s field from 1-4 p.m. They will be serving hot dogs, iced tea, and lemonade. Bring a dish to share, and other beverages of choice.