POWNAL – Suzanne Crowell, 79, of Pownal and Brunswick Maine died of esophageal cancer in Brunswick on June 15, 2025.

Editor, civil rights activist, legislative expert, she was born and raised in New England but spent most of her professional life in Washington, D.C. She received her BA from Barnard College and her MA from the Kennedy School of Government in public policy.

Suzanne was active in the Southern Conference Education Fund and authored the Appalachian History book. In the Federal Government, she served as editor of the Civil Rights Digest, a publication of the United States Commission on Civil Rights and at the Department of Housing and Urban Development worked to design programs that advanced fair housing. In the District of Columbia, she served as public affairs officer at the Office of People’s Counsel which advocated for fair utility rates on behalf of residential utility users.

After moving to Maine, she was a legislative writer for the National Council of Jewish Women writing editorials and op-ed pieces and was active with the Maine AFL-CIO.

Suzanne moved to Maine to be in the country and pursue her love of horses. During this period, she helped the Bates College Dance Festival stage two dances with horses on her property and also worked as a member of the Advisory Committee with Laure Faure to reach out to groups not previously represented in the Festival.

She was the daughter of Roland Crowell and Sophia Niemants Crowell and leaves behind two nieces and a sister-in-law. She also leaves to celebrate her life many friends and colleagues in Maine and the District of Columbia and fond memories of her horse, Delia.

Her thanks go to her stalwart friends Meg Huskey and Nonny Soifer and to Annie Blanchard and the rest of the staff at CHANS Hospice and Horizons.

Condolences may be expressed at www.funeralalternatives.net

Contributions in her memory may be made to CHANS Hospice in Brunswick, the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston and Riding to The Top Therapeutic Riding Center in Windham.