Friday, April 21, 2023
It’s funny how when you meet someone, you feel like you have known them your whole life. That’s how it was with me and Susan. We felt a connection right from the start. She connected with my family the same way. My children adored her, and my grandchildren’s faces lit up when they saw her coming. Susan was at my house through the summers before Covid for every barbque and insisted on working the grill. She did all of the cooking - fried chicken - pulled pork - collard greens and turkey – oh that was my favorite and she always made me extra to stash away, lol! When we picked her up in the morning, she brought out trays of food and desserts all pre-cooked for the barbque! The truck smelled like heaven all the way to the house and the whole time Susan would be fretting that “something” just didn’t come out right and everyone would be disappointed! I would be laughing so hard telling her “you’re crazy, there is nothing you could screw up, stop!!!” She was such an amazing cook and we loved her beyond words. When my Mom came up to live with us from Florida, she and Susan became quick buddies and dance partners. My mom was 95 years young and had dementia. Susan would grab a-hold of her and off they would go, dancing like they were kids, my Mom smiling from ear-to-ear. After the music stopped, my Mom would just hug on her and kiss her, saying over and over, “I love ya, Susan!!” …and Susan would be right back at her, “I love ya, too, Mama!!” Family. She was my family. Susan knew me so well that when I walked in the office in the morning she could just take one look at me, and she would look over those glasses and say “what’s wrong?” …she would be sooo stern…she’d catch me off guard and I wouldn’t dare lie, because if I said “nothin’”, she would immediately come running back to my office and demand to know who did it and whose a** did she have to kick! I hadn’t had a friend like her since I was living in Queens. All we kept saying was we wished we lived closer so that we could hang out every night after work (I lived 27+ miles from our job, she lived in the same town), it was so frustrating. I could say so much more about this woman I called friend, how she was so meticulous about herself, her clothes, how every crease had to be crisp and every hair in place. She amazed me with her knowledge about people, her life experiences, her generosity, her compassion, not to mention her integrity. Her moral compass was always strong and set true to herself, and if anyone ever doubted her, it cut like a knife to her very core. I will miss her. She was more than just my friend, she was part of my family. She came up in November to see her grandson’s football game and to get some winter clothes from her apartment. That’s the last time I laid eyes on her, the last time we hugged. I always thought that I’d see her one more time again. Our thoughts are with the family that she was so proud of. May you all find peace knowing how many lives Susan touched, and how loved she was by so many people.
(718) 761-5544 | 
matthewfh@matthewfuneralhome.com | 
2508 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
(718) 761-5544
matthewfh@matthewfuneralhome.com