Monday, October 23, 2023
I am so sorry that I will be unable to be with all of you for The Memorial, and--like all of you--I am devastated to bid farewell to Sue!
Perhaps it's easier for me to write these words rather than speak them because, like Sue, I am a crier.
Tears would well up in our eyes and our voices would crack when we experienced something sad, and we would cry as easily when we saw something beautiful!
That's why--over our many years together--we would hold hands and exchange Kleenex at movies or at those dramas and comedies at The N.J. Shakespeare Theater or when we reveled at beautiful paintings in a museum or gazed at glorious sunsets!
As a teacher--whether she was in the pool or the library--Sue was respected and adored by her students. Her kindness and patience were endless as was her quiet discipline when neded. Her love for reading spilled over onto her sudents. I remember when they came back to my classroom they liked to discuss what they had read and proudly displayed the books they had checked out.
I can never thank Sue enough for the many hours of help and the creative insights that she gave me over the years when I was directing many of the school plays.
Speaking of play, Play Time for the kids was as enjoyable for Sue and me as it was for the students when she and I shared Playtime Duty. We talked about anything and everything and particularly enjoyed discussing each week's episode of one of our favorite shows, The X Files. Seemingly, like the rest of the world in the 1990's, we hypothesized about who, when, where, why, and how The Aliens existed. (Also, like most of the females who watched the show, Sue and I found actor David Duchovny to be very pleasing to the eye!)
Among the innumerable interests that brought Sue and I together was our love and respect for nature and our awe and concern for the environment. During the years that I knew Sue, she and Larry gave loving homes to Ginger, Phoebe, Pugsley, and Indie. They provided window boxes filled with seeds and fruits and nesting boxes for squirrels, birds, chipmunks, and all and sundry. For my birthday as well as for every holiday, Sue could not give me a gift without including a little something for my cat Smudge!
As for the world around us, It goes without saying that it was one of the cornerstones of Sue's
political beliefs--which she expressed in her quiet but determined manner!
It was one of the greatest pleasures of my life and a true honor to be a friend of Sue's. I have said this before and will continue to say it: I believe that Sue was one of the kindest people to ever walk the Earth!!!
"Forever in our hearts and always on our minds;
You are loved beyond words and missed beyond
measure!"
With Deepest Sympathy to all of Sue's Beloved Family,
Barb Mckenna
