A visionary philanthropist, devoted friend of the arts, and beloved member of the USM community
The University of Southern Maine mourns the passing of Dorothy “Suzi” Osher, who died peacefully at her home in Saco on June 28, 2025, at the age of 96. Her loss is deeply felt across Maine—and especially at USM, where her enduring love for the arts and belief in education as a public good have left a profound and lasting legacy.
Suzi was more than a donor—she was a visionary who saw the arts not as a luxury, but as essential to the human experience. Her philanthropy transformed what is possible at USM. In 2021, she made a historic $10 million gift—the largest in the university’s history—establishing the Dr. Alfred and D. Suzi Osher School of Music and providing foundational support for the Crewe Center for the Arts. Thanks to Suzi, students in music, theatre, and visual arts are learning and creating in spaces designed to uplift and inspire.
Her generosity extended far beyond buildings and naming opportunities. She believed deeply in nurturing talent, supporting access, and making the arts a central part of student life. From creating the Dr. Alfred Osher & D. Suzi Osher Endowed Scholarship in 2015, to supporting campus libraries and capital projects, Suzi helped shape a more vibrant, inclusive, and forward-looking university.
Each spring, the azaleas that bloom along the D. Suzi Osher Promenade remind us not only of her love for beauty, but also of her quiet strength and grace. That pathway—connecting the Abromson Center and Glickman Library—is both a physical and symbolic link between Suzi’s legacy and the future of USM.
Suzi once said that she and her husband, Alfred, wanted to “keep philanthropy dollars at home.” She did more than that—she helped raise a cultural home for generations of USM students, faculty, and artists. Her vision, generosity, and spirit will continue to echo through every performance, every brushstroke, every note sung in the spaces she helped bring to life.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Suzi’s family and all who were touched by her life and leadership. She leaves behind not only a legacy, but a light that will continue to guide and inspire us.
You can read Suzi’s full obituary in the Portland Press Herald here, and leave a message in her digital guest book through the Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home.