Susan Wilder Hobby of Martha’s Vineyard and Plymouth, formerly of Sherborn and Newburyport, died peacefully on August 4 at her home, with her family’s love at her side. She was 84.

She was the beloved wife of 60 years to John M. Hobby.

She was born on Long Island on May 3, 1937, daughter of the late Ira and Evelyn Hooper Wilder. She had one brother, Geoffrey Wilder, whom she cherished.

She was a graduate of Allegheny College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in English. Early in her career she worked for McGraw-Hill in New York city as a textbook editor.

She met her husband on a blind date and was engaged three weeks later. After Jack and Susan married, they moved around the country in their early years and soon began their family. They settled in Sherborn and enjoyed many years there. Susan worked as a teacher at the Chickering School in Dover as well as Newburyport High School.

She was the best mother to John, Roger and Jill. She always had a big smile and supported them with sound advice and cheering them on at all of their various activities and sporting events.

The family had summered in Chilmark since the early 1970s. Susan was an accomplished artist with a deep love of painting in different media. She was creative on many levels. She loved preparing for art shows on Martha’s Vineyard, where so many supportive members of her community would buy her art and commission paintings. It was where she thrived and felt a strong sense of purpose.

Although Susan suffered a stroke 20 years ago, she continued to handle life with grace and positivity. She lost the use of her right hand but continued painting with her left, and was featured in an art show at the Spalding Rehabilitation Center. Nothing was impossible in her mind and she conveyed this message to her family and friends. She embodied this sentiment while facing many challenges in her later years with her supportive husband by her side. She maintained her sense of humor and strong will power in order to continue to do the things she loved most, and truly inspired others along the way.

She is survived by her loving husband John; sons John Hobby Jr. and his wife Christine of Franklin, and Roger W. Hobby and his wife Kristen of Medfield, and daughter Jill Hobby Napior and her husband Jason of West Tisbury. She was the cherished grandmother of Ryan Hobby, Matthew Hobby, Maggie Hobby, Thomas Hobby, Lauren Hobby, Stella Napior, Camden Napior and Leo Napior. She was a loving and caring aunt to her two nephews, Chris and Scott Wilder; nieces Jennifer Koslowski and Sandy Wilder Evers; and her sister in law, Susan Wilder-White. She will be forever loved and dearly missed.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Cremation took place at Vine Hills Crematory in Plymouth.

Donations can be made to Susan Hobby Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 494, Medfield, MA 02052; funds will donated to organizations that helped through her challenges.

An online guest book and tribute wall can be found at www.cartmelldavis.com