Susan Elizabeth Hart Leys

 

It was bound to happen, sooner or later.  After 29 years, when brother, Bennett, died in 1996 at age 47, the first of us 8 kids, it was sister Susan's turn, the beginning of what will now more quickly be the rest of us.  It's sobering to say it, but it's the truth we all now face at our age.

Bennett is #5 of us.  Susan is #2 and two years my senior.

As you can see, the visitation and funeral in Chicago, IL, were 2 weeks after her death,

giving all of us plenty of time to make travel arrangements.  It was a no-brainer

for Astrid and me from the Netherlands, the farthest, to join the family.

The visitation on Tuesday was made more memorable by the surprise condolences of Steven, one of

our Shutterchance virtual and faithful followers who lives only 30 miles from the funeral home.

We'll never forget his act of kindness and our chance to meet in real life.

It was the funeral on Wednesday, however, that brought us all together in our final hours of goodbye to Susan.  

[photo credit:  Astrid]

As we gathered in the church's anteroom, we sibs tried to hold it all together,

tears and smiles ebbing and flowing...

[photo credit:  Astrid]

...before the obligatory "official" photos were taken.

We are now the 6 remaining sibs, including our adopted Thai sister, DeeDee.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

The 4 boys are now 3 (l to r):  Jim #6, Nelson #1, and John #7.

The 4 girls are now 3 (l to r):  Ruth #8, Dee Dee, Boots/moi #3, and Nancy #4.

Susan #2 and Bennett #5 are sorely missed from this lineup!

And, yes, we girls wore our version of Susan's favorite color, pink.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

Then came Susan's only child Shari with her 3 daughters.

By then it was time for the service, in the church where Susan and husband Rodger were members.

There was an hour's viewing of Susan before the 11am service, after which the casket was closed.

[photo credit:  Paul Hart, nephew]

Susan's husband Rodger stood with his son, Eric, giving one of the eulogies that touched me

the most with it's history and humor of Rodger and Susan's life together, starting at 36:30.

Also, my brother Jim's solo On Eagle's Wings at 14:50.

[photo credit:  Paul Hart, nephew]

Following the service was the interment at a nearby cemetery.

We 6 sibs, plus Dee Dee, were the honorary pallbearers.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

The gravestone.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

After the interment was the luncheon put on by the church.

As the sign says, Susan LOVED Pepsi (NOT COKE) and Dr. Pepper, with lots of ice.

In honor of her, I drank my first Dr. Pepper in eons.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

It was after lunch when the cousins wanted their own lineup, in support of Shari.

They represent the children of 5 of us sibs who were able to attend, l to r:

Dave (Nelson), Stacy and Nate (Jim), Shari (Susan), Eric (Nancy), Amy (moi), Paul (Jim).

And YES, that's my daughter Amy who flew from Atlanta to support me.

Like with Steven, it's a gesture I never expected and will never forget.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

This time they included the spouses who were able to come!

[photo credit:  Astrid's phone by Kathy, niece-in-law???]

Followed by us sibs with OUR spouses, all present and accounted for

(except, sadly, for John and wife Sandy who had already headed back home)!

By then it was time to go back to our hotels, or wherever, to rest before our final get-together as an extended family that evening at the Olive Garden.

[photo credit:  Astrid]

It was a different goodbye this time, before going back to life as normal.

As so often happens, joy and laughter with each other reminded us to live in the moment,

while still hanging on to the memory of Susan.

Susan would have loved this celebration of her life!  She would turn 82 in May, just before I turn 80 in June, and will always be my big sister, even though I had minimal contact with her over the last years of her life.  All I know is that after a lifetime of untold physical ailments, of which rheumatoid vasculitis was one of the last, she is FREE AT LAST!

A TEAR and a SMILE!

P.S.  This post is not about the week's trip Astrid and I made to Michigan for this goodbye to Susan, staying with Don and Ruth at their new home in Lansing.  That's another post waiting in the wings....