WINTHROP – Susan Dorothy Armentrout McConnell, 43, passed away Monday April 21, 2008, as the result of an accident. Susan was born Nov. 3, 1964, in Portland, the daughter of Dorothy Libbey and Charles Armentrout. Sue attended Portland sch-ools, graduating from Deering High School and then as a registered nurse from Syracuse University in New York. Sue spent summers in Winthrop at a family camp on Maranacook Lake and several summers during her teen years at New England Music Camp, Sidney, as a student and then as a counselor. Susan lived in Winthrop for the last several years and was most recently the school nurse for the Winthrop School Department. Prior to that, Susan worked as an emergency room nurse at MaineGeneral Hospital and also worked at Gray Birch Nursing Care. Susan had also served as director of Camp Ray of Hope, an organization devoted to support for children who had lost family members. Prior to starting a family, Susan worked for HealthReach as a hospice nurse. She was also an active member of United Methodist Church, Winthrop. For several years, Susan was a stay-at-home mom after adopting two beautiful girls from Vietnam. Her girls were the lights of her life. Sue provided for their needs and happiness with love, energy, compassion and creativity. They had many great times camping, boating, snowmobiling, traveling, and also at home cooking and crafting. Sue touched many, many lives with her ability to bring compassion and levity to difficult situations. She will be sadly missed by those who knew her, but none more than her family and closest friends. Susan is survived by her parents, Dorothy Libbey of Farmingdale and Charles Armentrout of Readfield; her children, Julie and Sarah McConnell of Winthrop; a sister and brother-in-law, Mary and James Carr of Pittsfield; two brothers, John Armentrout and his wife, Nancy, of Farmingdale and Tom Armentrout of Atlanta; close friends, Tamara Hoke of Wilton and Jennifer McConnell of Winthrop; and her Welsh corgi, Sunshine. Her nieces and nephews, Luke, Jake, Eliott, Haley and Abbie, will miss their witty and lively aunt, who kept them laughing and on the go. Sue was always there to lend a hand to someone in need or to help someone who was sick and had a gift for raising the spirits of everyone around her. She regaled audiences at many charity events and in school health class with her alter ego, Effie Spitfire. She was a special person whose light has been extinguished from our world far too soon. There will be a prayer vigil 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at United Methodist Church, Main Street, Winthrop. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Friday, April 25, at Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Route 133, Winthrop, with Pastor Don Hegeman officiating, with a reception after at the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sue’s name to Camp Ray of Hope, a program of hospice volunteers of Waterville, 304 Main St., P.O. Box 200, Waterville, ME 04903.