Sue was a wonderful friend to Jeanne and I, and also godmother to our son, Benjamin. And in turn, we were godparents to Josiah. Distance meant that our respective godparenting was sadly neglected; but Sue was always thought about with immense fondness within our family, and from what she told me the feelings were fully reciprocated.
On the occasions when we managed to meet, there was an immediate rekindling of the closeness we enjoyed. There was never a need to wear a mask of any kind and we were able to be completely honest with one another: a tribute to her openness and warm heartedness. Thank you, Sue, I shall miss those talks we had enormously; and the laughter too, of course.
Sue’s sense of humour was legendary; but she was also a deep, reflective person surrounded by melancholy. Unless you knew her well, you would never have guessed at the sorrow and care which she handled so bravely. Without realising it, Sue, you were a genuine inspiration to me; and I only hope you knew how much I admired you.
To ensure my tribute is as honest as Sue herself was, I ought to say that there also occasions when sparks flew. At times, Sue, our friendship was tested. But we managed to rise above those occasions and return to the bonds that brought us together in the first place, didn’t we? I can say with all sincerity that my life has been enriched through knowing you, and I feel sure that everyone else in our family would say the same.
John Everett
09/01/2019
