Susanna Bryant Dakin (1905-1966) was widely and affectionately admired as one who did great good in a quiet way. Her talents were many and her writings on early California reflect a fascination and a depth of perception which will keep her memory alive. She wished her children would gain knowledge from the past to pioneer the future.
Mrs. Dakin was one of the original group of dedicated workers who founded and guided the California Arboretum Foundation. She served as Chairman of both its Publication Committee, and with Mrs. John R. Mage, its Historical Committee. At the time of her death, she was active as Chairman of the Historical Study Committee of the Arboretum Foundation Board of Trustees.
In her collaboration with the late Maurice Block on the restoration of the Queen Anne Cottage, she enthusiastically shared the sense of excellence. She commented when she first saw the Cottage that it was completely deteriorated – empty, vandalized, riddled with termites, with the tower about to collapse.
The thoughtful, imaginative interpretation which resulted from the cooperation of these two gifted artists will yield continuing delight for all who visit the historic section. Her untiring efforts were also directed toward the remarkably authentic restoration of the Hugo Reid Adobe and the Baldwin Coach Barn.
Unfortunately, when she and her family were traveling to Baja California, for the Christmas holiday, their plane crashed on a shore of the Sea of Cortez on December 20, 1966.
