Dr. Susan Thomson Strahan, a retired psychiatrist and mental health advocate who served on the state’s Board of Physicians Quality Assurance, died of heart disease on Dec. 28 at her home in Canterbury, Tuscany. died. she was 72 years old.
Born in Baltimore and raised in New Northwood and Guildford, she was the daughter of dermatologist Dr. John F. Strahan and housewife Jean Eichelberg.
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She graduated from Rowland Park Country School in 1968, which was then partially coeducational.
“My sister has had a lifelong interest in athletics,” said Dr. Nancy V. Strahan. “It was common for boys and girls to separate during school breaks and do gender-appropriate activities. Susan was the only girl in her class who was allowed to play ball with the boys. .”
Awarded a white blazer by Rowland Park Country School, she played field hockey, basketball and tennis for the varsity team during her junior year.
“Her hand-eye coordination and agility are testaments to her being a valued teammate in high school, despite being relatively short in basketball,” her sister said. rice field.
Dr. Strahan received his bachelor’s degree from what is now Hollins University in Virginia. She earned her master’s degree from George Washington University and graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
She is a resident in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland Medical System and also attended a fellowship in Childhood and Adolescent Psychiatry in Maryland in the early 1980s.
She became a clinical assistant professor at the University of Maryland and taught in psychiatry. As her teacher, she was a mentor to medical students and residents, often leading them to state health services.
Colleague Dr. Brian Hepburn said, “She wanted to help mental system patients in the state by recruiting top people.” She could talk about sports and at the same time talk like a psychiatric professor.
“She was a role model for young psychiatrists.”
Maryland Governor Paris Glendenning appointed her to the Physician Quality Assurance Commission.
“She volunteered in a position that required hours of record reviews and meetings,” her sister said.
Dr. Strahan was the former Director of Psychiatric Training and Education for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Health.
She was a staff psychiatrist at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center and practiced individual adult and adolescent psychiatry at Kenilworth Drive.
She was a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a professional honor.
Dr. Strahan maintained his interest in sports after developing asthma while in college, playing golf and tennis for many years.
According to her sister, Dr. Strahan dabbled in ice skating, bowling, archery, swimming, racquet sports, kayaking, horseback riding, water skiing and snow skiing. She also tried juggling.
“She and her sister Sally were able to win tickets to the Masters practice round in Augusta, Georgia. Sister Nancy said, “She had a Ravens season ticket until recently, then she made the transition to Home Spectator.”
As a student, she traveled across Europe by rail, organizing trips with her sisters to the British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands and Bermuda.
“She insisted on renting mopeds for all of us and taking us on adventures,” said her sister Nancy. “We looked like ‘Charlie’s Angels.’ And, not having much experience with boats, she hired a small boat and flew fearlessly across unfamiliar islands.”
Friends said she was generous and often remembered birthdays with trips to her favorite restaurants: The Prime Rib, Vito’s and The Milton Inn. We sent gifts tailored to the recipient’s tastes, such as wheels of tons cheese and scotch salmon.
“Her career was more than just a career. She was very dedicated to her patients. She was an effective and well-loved psychiatrist,” said friend Evelyn Ragland Zink. rice field. “She was one of the most kind, helpful and generous friends I have ever known. She cared deeply about the lives of her friends and their children.”
[ Dr. John F. Strahan, dermatologist who practiced for more than half a century, dies ]
Zink also said: She read that a family’s house was on fire and quietly returned her donation. “
Dr. Strahan is a loyal Rowland Park Country School alumnus who has served on the board of directors and chaired the development committee.
Survivors include her two sisters, Dr. Nancy V. Strahan of Baltimore and Sally S. Matthews of Atlanta. four nieces; and a great-niece.
Plans for a memorial service in March are pending.
