Susan Jerome Samaha

Susan Elizabeth Jerome Samaha passed away peacefully on Friday, January 23, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. 

She was born on January 16, 1954, to the late Frank Jerome and Sue Jerome in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her family later moved to Ruston, where she and her brother, Douglas Jerome, spent their childhood. She was a straight-A student throughout her education and was crowned Peach Queen her senior year of high school, after winning a competitive local beauty pageant. 

Susan received a full scholarship to Louisiana Tech University, where she earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Marketing and Finance. She was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and remained an active member after graduation, assisting the LSU Chapter during annual rush and other fundraising events. 

Susan worked for various oil, software, and engineering companies throughout her career, but it was her tenure at IBM that she spoke of most often. 

She married John Samaha in 1985, and they had two daughters, Abby Broussard and Holly Samaha-Smith. After having children, Susan transitioned into staying home full-time and channeled her perfectionist work ethic and creativity into supporting her daughters’ school projects and extracurricular activities. She always made sure her daughters had the best of everything and raised them to be independent, successful women. In her later years, Susan enjoyed watching tennis matches with her cat and looking through photos and videos of her three grandchildren, Victor Broussard, Lily Smith, and Margaret Smith. 

The family will hold a private service in Baton Rouge at a later date.