I’ve actually avoided publishing this post. I didn’t want to ever do or see this, but here we are with obligation. An obligation, that when fulfilled, makes it somehow “more real”. As if the public service and the graveside sermon weren’t potent enough.
I am one of many who loved Susan Lascolette as a dear amazing friend, and am only now, with reflection, understanding better how much she masterfully cared for, guided, managed, and improved many of us as individuals and friends.
Her passing (June 21, 2026) has made me reflect too on what she felt and experienced when the original “Goochland Revolution” spark – Ned Creasey – passed (March 10, 2018).
The Goochland County Republican Committee passed the following resolution honoring and recognizing her work and contribution:
RESOLUTION
Honoring the Life, Service, and Enduring Example of
SUSAN FOUCHE LASCOLETTE
A Model of Faithful Local Service to the Republic
WHEREAS, Susan Fouche Lascolette, a cherished daughter of Goochland County, Virginia, born February 1, 1950, and called home to her Lord on June 21, 2026, devoted twelve years of her life to elected public service as the representative of District 1 on the Goochland County Board of Supervisors, and, as such faithfully served the citizens of all of Goochland with integrity, wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to the principles of self-government that form the bedrock of our Republic;
WHEREAS, Supervisor Lascolette earned the confidence of her colleagues through multiple terms as Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors, providing steady, principled leadership that strengthened Goochland County’s governance at the most local level—where decisions directly affect families, volunteers, taxpayers, and the rural character that defines our community;
WHEREAS, as a key member of the “revolution board,” she played an instrumental role in restoring Goochland County’s financial stability, guiding the county from near-insolvency to the remarkable achievement of three AAA bond ratings—the smallest county in the nation to earn such distinction—thereby protecting the resources of Goochland taxpayers and ensuring the long-term capacity to deliver essential local services without undue burden on our citizens;
WHEREAS, with particular passion and effectiveness, Susan Lascolette championed the improvement of fire-rescue and public safety services that directly protect the lives, property, and peace of mind of Goochland residents—joining the Hadensville Company 6 auxiliary in 2013, championing the construction of Fire-Rescue Station 6 (opened 2017), supporting the achievement of 24/7 career staffing at all stations by 2019, and advancing new and upgraded facilities serving Sandy Hook, West Creek, and communities throughout the county—demonstrating that true local leadership prioritizes the safety of one’s own neighbors and volunteer first responders;
WHEREAS, she remained steadfast in her defense of the rural heritage and character of western Goochland and District 1, ensuring that local decisions respected the community’s values, way of life, and connection to the land—embodying the republican ideal that self-government begins with citizens who know and love their own place and are willing to steward it responsibly for future generations;
WHEREAS, Supervisor Lascolette extended her commitment to republican principles beyond Goochland by serving as the 5th (and formerly 7th) District Representative on the Virginia Republican State Central Committee and through her mentorship of emerging leaders, including those who now serve at the state level; her example of effective, principle-driven local governance contributed to a stronger Commonwealth and earned recognition from the Virginia Tea Party as a great friend and patriot devoted to the cause of self-government;
WHEREAS, Susan Lascolette understood and lived the profound truth that service to the Republic is most powerfully expressed through faithful, sustained commitment to local self-government—recognizing that the health of our counties, the strength of our communities, and the virtue of citizens who willingly shoulder the responsibilities of self-rule are the essential foundations upon which the liberties secured by the Constitution and the enduring traditions of Virginia ultimately depend;
WHEREAS, her life, leadership, and legacy stand as a permanent and inspiring example for all who would serve Goochland County, this Committee, or any office of public trust: a model of principled conservatism in action, selfless dedication to the common good over personal popularity, courageous decision-making for the long-term welfare of the community, and the quiet, steadfast work of building stronger institutions closest to the people;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Goochland County Republican Committee that:
1. We honor the life and memory of Susan Fouche Lascolette and express our profound gratitude for her twelve years of dedicated public service to the citizens of Goochland County and her broader contributions to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
2. We hold Susan Lascolette as a permanent and shining example of what it means to serve the Republic through committed local service—demonstrating that the most meaningful defense of liberty, self-government, and conservative principles begins in one’s own county, on the Board of Supervisors, in the firehouse auxiliary, and in the daily work of strengthening the institutions closest to the people.
3. Her example shall continue to guide and inspire the members of this Committee, candidates for local office, and all citizens of Goochland County who seek to emulate her dedication, her courage to make difficult but necessary decisions, her respect for rural character and fiscal responsibility, and her unwavering focus on the long-term good of the community she loved and served.
4. This Resolution shall be entered into the permanent records of the Goochland County Republican Committee, read at an appropriate future meeting or gathering of the Committee, and copies shall be provided to her family, the Goochland County Board of Supervisors, the Virginia Republican Party, and the Virginia Tea Party as a testament to her enduring legacy of local service to the Republic.
5. We encourage every member of this Committee and every Republican in Goochland County to study her record of service, to internalize the principle that strong local governance is the surest foundation of a free society, and to carry forward her example of faithful, principled citizenship in their own lives and public endeavors.
Adopted this 15th day of July, 2026.
A Personal Tribute from Those Who Knew Her
Susan Fouche Lascolette was our friend.
She was the kind of friend who showed up — not just for the big moments, but for the long, ordinary work of keeping a county running and a community whole. When we think of her now, after she went home to her Lord on June 21, 2026, what rises first is not a list of titles or votes. It is the steady presence of a woman who believed that the ideas we talk about in meetings and at kitchen tables actually matter in real life.
Susan served twelve years on the Goochland County Board of Supervisors representing District 1. She chaired the Board more than once. She helped lead what people around here still call the “Goochland Revolution” — the group that pulled the county back from the edge of financial trouble and earned it three AAA bond ratings. She fought for fire-rescue improvements that touched every volunteer company and every family who ever needed help in the middle of the night. She stood for the rural character of western Goochland when development pressures grew strong.
But if you asked the people who actually knew her, they would tell you something simpler: Susan was a friend and a mentor. She listened. She asked hard questions. She gave advice that came from somewhere deeper than politics.
It mattered to us because it mattered to her in a material way. When she spoke about protecting the rural character of her district, it wasn’t a slogan. It was the place where she lived and where her neighbors lived. When she championed better fire-rescue services, it wasn’t theory. It was about the volunteers she knew by name and the families who depended on them. When she talked about self-government and the responsibility that comes with it, she lived it — one meeting, one budget decision, one quiet act of stewardship at a time.
Her faith was quiet, yet evident and steady. She described herself as a follower of Christ who loved the idea of America and believed in keeping the Republic. That faith showed up in how she treated people, in the way she mentored younger – and not so younger – leaders, and in her conviction that public service was never just about winning the next vote. County Administrator Steven Creasey captured it well when he said her legacy lives on in the leaders she mentored and the lives she touched. Fire-Rescue Chief Eddie Ferguson called her a guiding star. State Senator Luther Cifers spoke of the wisdom she freely shared when he was just starting out. Those weren’t political statements. They were the words of people who had been around her long enough to know the real thing.
We saw her at her best in the hard seasons — when budgets were tight, when tough votes had to be cast, when the easy path and the right path diverged. She didn’t grandstand. She did the work. And she did it with the belief that strong local government, rooted in the values that built this country, is still the best foundation for a free people.
Susan was predeceased by her husband, Warren Bruce Lascolette, and by her parents. She is survived by her siblings and extended family who loved her. Her funeral at Goochland High School drew people from every corner of the county and beyond — supervisors past and present, firefighters, neighbors, fellow Republicans, and friends who simply wanted to say thank you.
One comment left after her passing said simply, “I’ve lost a great friend. I will forever miss our long conversations and her invaluable advice.” That line stays with many of us. Not just because we too had the experience and privilege of those amazing late night phone conversations. But because It captures what so many felt: she gave more than she took, and she left people better than she found them.
We will miss her steady principles, her strong voice, and the way she made what we claim to believe in feel lived and possible. Susan showed us that understanding the Republic, holding conservative convictions, and revering the Christian contribution to American civic life is not just something we talk about at meetings. It is something we do — in our counties, with our neighbors, one faithful decision at a time.
Rest well, friend. The work continues, and we’re better to have watched you, and having you watch us do it.
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