I first met Susan at Upper School ... or 'Ralph' as her friends affectionately called her! I can still remember her impish grin and the sparkle in her eyes, and the hilarious times shared with my dear friend. She was a tomboy and athlete, and was always up for a crazy, good time. We double-dated for prom one year, which made the mandatory attendance rule of 'go-with-whoever-asks-you-or-else-be-matched-up-with-a-date' a little more tolerable--in fact, the 4 of us ended up having a great time that evening! All I ever remember was how much our friends all laughed with Ralph, and how much fun we had whenever she was around! My senior year (her junior year), a group of us would often pile into my car (I was a day-pup) for off-campus escapades, including the photo I posted in my profile when we all got dressed up as ladies of the evening, and went to Coco's for dinner! Ralph frequently liked to eat there with our family on Sundays after church, and had the silliest spiel when she ordered her favorite burger--describing it in rhyming detail, and then proceeding to modify the order until it no longer had any resemblance to the burger listed on the menu. It always left us in stitches as the server tried to hurriedly scribble her detailed instructions ... while Ralph remained perfectly stone-faced!
We kept in touch all through the years, long after our Upper School days, and enjoyed many visits along the way. The last time I saw her was in Newport Beach, CA where she lived with her husband and two daughters. I was visiting in the area, and she invited me to their home and to join her for lunch at a lovely club they belonged to along the coast. That day it struck me, that in the intervening years, she had become the epitome of a lady, totally transformed from our gawky, silly Upper School days. She was now a gracious woman, very proper, impeccably groomed and dressed, quiet, soft spoken, and a dedicated & seasoned CS practitioner. She was now Susan ... no longer Ralph. I could also tell immediately she was not her old jovial self. She seemed sad and lonely. She bared her soul over that lunch, and I felt privileged that she felt safe in doing so. I began to understand that life isn't always what it appears to be on the outside. When we hugged good bye later that day, I had an inkling it might be the last time I would see her again. And it was. We still kept in touch through phone calls & letters ... until things became quiet at her end. And then, the sad news arrived that she had passed on. But I choose to remember my sweet friend as that happy-go-lucky, silly girl from our Upper School days ... and the many laughs she shared with all of us there. What a gift!
Thanks Kimmie for those vivid memories of Ralph! My late wife, Nancy and she were neighbors back in Freehold, NJ. When Nancy Morey joined Ralph as Freshman at the college, Ralph took Nancy over to my Buck House to introduce her to me. Nancy and I started dating Spring Quarter of our Sophmore year and after graduating we got married. So we spent manny holidays over at the Denise's home and later, after Nancy passed on, I took our two children over to meet Susan at their Newport home. It was the last time I ever saw her, as well. Thanks again for the fond memories Kimmie!
Kimmie Burns (Odenwald) (1973)
I first met Susan at Upper School ... or 'Ralph' as her friends affectionately called her! I can still remember her impish grin and the sparkle in her eyes, and the hilarious times shared with my dear friend. She was a tomboy and athlete, and was always up for a crazy, good time. We double-dated for prom one year, which made the mandatory attendance rule of 'go-with-whoever-asks-you-or-else-be-matched-up-with-a-date' a little more tolerable--in fact, the 4 of us ended up having a great time that evening! All I ever remember was how much our friends all laughed with Ralph, and how much fun we had whenever she was around! My senior year (her junior year), a group of us would often pile into my car (I was a day-pup) for off-campus escapades, including the photo I posted in my profile when we all got dressed up as ladies of the evening, and went to Coco's for dinner! Ralph frequently liked to eat there with our family on Sundays after church, and had the silliest spiel when she ordered her favorite burger--describing it in rhyming detail, and then proceeding to modify the order until it no longer had any resemblance to the burger listed on the menu. It always left us in stitches as the server tried to hurriedly scribble her detailed instructions ... while Ralph remained perfectly stone-faced!
We kept in touch all through the years, long after our Upper School days, and enjoyed many visits along the way. The last time I saw her was in Newport Beach, CA where she lived with her husband and two daughters. I was visiting in the area, and she invited me to their home and to join her for lunch at a lovely club they belonged to along the coast. That day it struck me, that in the intervening years, she had become the epitome of a lady, totally transformed from our gawky, silly Upper School days. She was now a gracious woman, very proper, impeccably groomed and dressed, quiet, soft spoken, and a dedicated & seasoned CS practitioner. She was now Susan ... no longer Ralph. I could also tell immediately she was not her old jovial self. She seemed sad and lonely. She bared her soul over that lunch, and I felt privileged that she felt safe in doing so. I began to understand that life isn't always what it appears to be on the outside. When we hugged good bye later that day, I had an inkling it might be the last time I would see her again. And it was. We still kept in touch through phone calls & letters ... until things became quiet at her end. And then, the sad news arrived that she had passed on. But I choose to remember my sweet friend as that happy-go-lucky, silly girl from our Upper School days ... and the many laughs she shared with all of us there. What a gift!
Donnie MacKenzie (1974)
Thanks Kimmie for those vivid memories of Ralph! My late wife, Nancy and she were neighbors back in Freehold, NJ. When Nancy Morey joined Ralph as Freshman at the college, Ralph took Nancy over to my Buck House to introduce her to me. Nancy and I started dating Spring Quarter of our Sophmore year and after graduating we got married. So we spent manny holidays over at the Denise's home and later, after Nancy passed on, I took our two children over to meet Susan at their Newport home. It was the last time I ever saw her, as well. Thanks again for the fond memories Kimmie!