Susan Gardiner Larkin, 82, of Greenwich, died on September 23, 2026, with her family by her side.
Born in La Plata, Maryland, on December 16, 1943, to Margaret Frere Gardiner and Hugh Charles Gardiner, Susan was the second youngest of seven children. She grew up in a close-knit family in Faulkner, Maryland. 
Susan began her pursuit of lifelong learning at Archbishop Neale School in La Plata (’61), followed by the College of Notre Dame of Maryland (’65), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. Later, Susan earned a master’s degree in arts policy and management from City, University of London (while also working for the British American Arts Association) and a PhD in Art History from the Graduate Center of the
City University of New York (’03), specializing in American art and 19th-century European art. She was also a Chester Dale Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Susan’s professional career spanned 50 years and encompassed writing, teaching, the arts, and publishing. Deeply committed to service and infinitely curious about the world, upon graduating from college, Susan joined the Peace Corps in 1965. She was part of the first class of volunteers assigned to the Philippines, where she spent the next two
years in the rural Laguna province teaching English and science to elementary and middle school children.
After returning from the Peace Corps, Susan moved to New York City and joined the editorial department at Alfred A. Knopf. During that time, Susan met James T. (Jim) Larkin. They married on December 28, 1968, beginning a partnership that would span more than five decades.
In 1973, Susan and Jim moved their young family to Greenwich, Connecticut. In addition to becoming involved in her new community, she pivoted professionally, working as a freelance writer for Travel & Leisure and Food & Wine, among others.
Greenwich quickly became more than the place she called home; its history, landscape, institutions, and artistic heritage became intertwined with her work. She curated her first exhibition, “Connecticut and American Impressionism,” in 1980 for the Hulbert Gallery at Greenwich Library. Over the course of the next four plus decades, she became particularly known for her expertise on American art and the artists who gathered in and around Cos Cob and Greenwich at the turn of the 20th century. Her work helped illuminate the importance of the Connecticut shore in the development of American
Impressionism and modern American art. She lectured and curated exhibitions at museums including the Greenwich Historical Society, the Bruce Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Academy of Design, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Denver Art Museum, and the Wallace Collection in London.
Susan brought her scholarship into the classroom, teaching art history at Manhattanville College, Hunter College, and SUNY Purchase. Her courses included Introduction to the History of Art, Japanism in American Art, and Images of Women in American Art. She was a gifted teacher who delighted in making art and its history vivid, relevant, and accessible to others.
Susan was a prolific writer. Through her books, exhibitions, lectures, and teaching, she combined rigorous research with a storyteller’s gift for bringing artists, places, and cultural history to life. Among her publications were The Cos Cob Art Colony: Impressionists on the Connecticut Shore, Top Cats: The Life and Times of the New York
Public Library Lions, and The Artist’s Studio in Cos Cob and Beyond.
Throughout her life, Susan remained deeply devoted to her community, sharing her time and expertise with numerous cultural and educational institutions:
• The Greenwich Historical Society: Served from 1993–2021 in roles including Chair (2009–2012), Vice Chair (2006–2009), founding chair of the Exhibitions Committee, and member of the Collections and Program Committees and the Professional Advisory Board.
• The Bruce Museum: Trustee (1995–1997) and member of the Exhibition & Collections Committee (1987–2007).
• College of Notre Dame of Maryland: Trustee (2002–2008) and Chair of Academic Affairs & Executive Committee (2005–2008).
• Weir Farm Trust: Council of Overseers (1994–2001).
• The New York Botanical Garden: Advisory Committee (2015–2016).
• Greenwich Arts Council: Advisor for Art in Public Places.
Susan’s meaningful contributions were recognized with several honors, including the Bruce Museum Icon Award (2010), the Japan Society of Fairfield County Uezumi Award (2010), the Notre Dame of Maryland Service to Society Award (2014), and being named a Greenwich Symphony Honoree (2014).
For all her professional accomplishments, Susan’s greatest gift was her warmth and genuine interest in those around her. She was enriched by friendships from every part of her life, across generations and around the world. She loved bringing family and friends together and approached life with optimism, generosity, and an independent spirit.
Susan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jim (2022); her parents, Margaret and Hugh Gardiner; her sisters, Eleanor and Nancy Jo; and her brothers, Hugh and David.
She is survived by her daughter, Kate Larkin Laverge (Albert) of Riverside, Connecticut, and their children, Allie and Charlie; and her son, James T. Larkin Jr. (Cecelia) of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and his daughter Carmen Garcia, their children Raphael, Madeline, Penelope, William, and Lila, and step-granddaughter Lucia.
Susan is also survived by her loving sisters, Sister Mary Martha Gardiner of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Cathy Forkum of Ocala, Florida; her sisters-in-law Elaine Larkin of San Francisco, California, Robin Larkin of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Mary Jane Larkin of Quincy, Massachusetts; and countless beloved nieces, nephews, godchildren, and friends.
A reception will be held at the Greenwich Historical Society (47 Strickland Road) on Thursday, October 1st from 5:00 pm–7:00 pm. A Mass to celebrate Susan’s life will be offered at St. Catherine’s Church (4 Riverside Avenue, Riverside, CT) on Friday, October 2nd at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Putnam Cemetery (35 Parsonage Road, Greenwich, CT).