From Nurse to Volunteer: Sue Conter’s Story of Caring

From Nurse to Volunteer: Sue Conter’s Story of Caring

If you’ve ever browsed the jewelry section at the Treasure Trove and found a hidden gem, there’s a good chance you have Sue Conter to thank!

Sue joined the Cornwall Manor volunteer family shortly after she and her husband, Bob, moved to Cornwall in October 2023. As the jewelry specialist in the Treasure Trove Shoppe, she combines two things she loves: giving back and thrifting. With her mother, Polly Krumbine, living at Cornwall Manor, volunteering here felt like the perfect fit.

“I wanted a way to give back,” Sue says. “I love volunteering here. It’s very fulfilling.”

That spirit of caring has been a theme throughout her life. Growing up in South Lebanon and graduating from Cedar Crest High School, Sue always knew what she wanted to be. Inspired by several great-aunts who were nurses, she never seriously considered any other career. After graduating from the Chester County Hospital School of Nursing, she spent 25 years as a Medical-Surgical Nurse at Hershey Medical Center.

Her nursing career took her through urology, gynecology, trauma, and a busy surgical outpatient clinic. What did she love most? The relationships she built with patients, the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s day, and the fact that nursing meant she was constantly learning.

“The pace of nursing and the people I met kept every day interesting,” she recalls.

After retiring in 2014, Sue wasn’t ready to slow down. In fact, she headed back to school and learned an entirely new profession: dog grooming! For four years, she operated a mobile dog-grooming business, proving it’s never too late to try something new.

Sue and Bob, a retired oncology surgeon, have a wonderfully blended family. The two met while working at Hershey Medical Center, where their shared dedication to caring for others first brought them together. Today, they have six children and ten grandchildren spread across New York, Maryland, Florida and Pennsylvania. Sue’s daughters followed their own unique paths. One is a pediatric oncology nurse at Hershey Medical Center, while the other runs a successful Etsy shop.

When she’s not volunteering, Sue enjoys walking, gardening, cooking, spending time outdoors and visiting her mother. She’s also recently taken up golf and is enjoying lessons with Bob. Sports fans can always count on Sue to cheer enthusiastically for the Eagles and even the Kansas City Chiefs.

But perhaps Sue’s greatest passion is rescuing dogs.

She is an advocate for the Philly Bully Team and shares her home with several rescue dogs, including Little Lucy, Rhubarb and Fiona. Each has a story, but Little Lucy’s tale sounds like something straight out of a movie.

One day, while driving home from volunteering at the Treasure Trove, Sue was stopped behind a FedEx truck when she spotted a small dog darting across the street. Without hesitation, she pulled over, rescued the frightened pup and searched for its owner. Sue brought the Havapoo home and it wasn’t long before Little Lucy was the newest member of the Conter family. 

Whether she’s caring for patients, helping shoppers discover treasures, nurturing flowers, cheering on her favorite teams or rescuing dogs in need, Sue’s kindness shines through in everything she does.

We’re grateful Sue chose Cornwall Manor as the next chapter in her story and thankful for the time, energy and heart she shares with our community every day. Thank you, Sue! ❤️