Susan Diane Bright

Susan Diane Bright (Pope), 51, US Army Reserve (ret), died peacefully in her home at 7:15pm on the evening of January 28th, 2026, after a seven-year hard fought battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family and her cats that she adored. Susan leaves behind her husband, Robert Bright of Loveland, Ohio, parents David and Melanie Pope (Ireland) of Union, Kentucky, older sisters Cathy Mena (Pope) of Bangor, Maine, and Carolyn Maxwell (Pope) and husband Ryan of Batavia, Ohio. Nieces and nephews include Austyn Najera of Los Angeles, California, Rebekkah Najera of Florence, KY, Duncan Maxwell of Batavia, Ohio, Avery Maxwell of Storrs, Connecticut, and Nathan and Nolan Moore, from California.

Susan was born on June 15th, 1974, in Pomona California. She was an avid musician (piano and singing), a great athlete, incredibly bright, and an amazing, generous and caring daughter, sister and friend. She joined the Navy after High School and was trained as an air traffic controller. She then transferred to the Army and attended Japanese language training at the Presidio of Monterey, then served as a Military Intelligence Non-Commissioned Officer in Hawaii. During this service, she was able to travel to many areas in the Pacific, but she always loved talking about her time at Kwajalein Atoll. After being honorably discharged as a Sergeant (E5), she began work as a civilian in Seattle, WA, but eventually felt the need for adventure again and decided to work as a Counter-Intelligence agent at Balad Air Base, Iraq. There, she met her future husband, Rob, on January 28th, 2006 - the same day she would pass with him by her side many years later.

After leaving Iraq in 2007, she began studying at The Ohio State University, then later transferred to Xavier University in Cincinnati Ohio, to be closer to her future husband. Rob and Susan were married knee-deep in a mountain stream on June 10th, 2011, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, after he finally got the courage to propose. Susan then earned a Bachelor of Science from Xavier University in August, 2013, followed by a Master of Public Health in March, 2017 from National University. It was during this time that Susan continued her service in the U.S. Army Reserve, finally retiring in June, 2018 before joining the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Program Analyst. Susan would continue to work for the EPA until her death in 2026. Her years of military service included numerous Army Commendation medals and Army Achievement medals.

Susan loved all animals and volunteered for many years as a kitten foster for various animal advocacy organizations in the Cincinnati area, including the SPCA. She would regularly leave the house at late hours to pick up animals in need, then provide for their health until they were ready to go to their forever homes. Needless to say, some of Susan's attempts were "foster failures" and remained in her loving house because she had a huge heart for kittens, especially those needing more help in life.

Susan was an avid traveler and adventurist, which included her earning the PADI Master Diver accreditation. She earned her Private Pilot's license at age 18 in California, and loved flying by herself or with her family. Susan lived her life to its fullest, traveling all over the globe; she enjoyed scuba or land travel in Australia, Solomon Islands, Palau, Guam, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bonaire, Mexico, Honduras, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Saint Bartholomew, Saba, Saint Kitts, Belize, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Kwajalein Atoll, Wake Island, Iraq, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Germany, France, Egypt, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Italy, Canada, Austria, Belgium, and Netherlands. She overcame her fear of sharks over the years and enjoyed swimming with the Tiger and Lemon sharks in the Bahamas. The capstone of her scuba adventures was diving in the Galapagos Islands, which she was even able to do after years of chemotherapy and surgeries. She also enjoyed skydiving from time to time, always wanting to do it with family members on special occasions.

In honor of her love of the ocean and its wonders, there will be a celebration of life on the island of Bonaire, followed by a sunset scattering of ashes from a catamaran into the deep blue. She was truly loved and cherished by her husband, her family, and her friends, and is the epitome of courage and vitality that will remain long after her short years among us. She was a bright light to all of us and will be missed beyond words.

The family requests donations be made to worthy animal shelters or animal rescue organizations.