Sue Slater

This has taken me over a week to write and even now I’m not sure I can get through it.

My good friend for over 35 years, Sue Slater, died on April 18. The day after that I received an e-mail – which I thought was from Sue. It was a reply to a series of e-mails she and I had been exchanging over the past few days. “Hi, Mrs. Bennett,” it began. SUE, why are you calling me ‘Mrs. Bennett?’

“This is Shelly. . .” Now my mind was in a turmoil. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. My eyes were moving quicker than my brain, but I caught the phrase, “mom passed away. . .” I later found out Sue died quite unexpectedly early in the morning of a sudden heart attack.

For 3 or 4 days I felt like a robot. You do this, you do that, because you have to. Sometimes I cried and sometimes I laughed. I laughed at all the fun times we’d had over the years and at the many hilarious conversations we shared.

I first met Sue a day or two after my husband and infant twin sons moved to Rochester back in 1974. In those days, most of the women in the neighborhood were housewives and mothers. A neighbor came over and said she would like to have a coffee get together for me to meet the neighbors. The next day at the gathering, there were maybe 6 or 8 women who lived in homes all around mine.

Sue stood out! Sue was animated and talkative in a crowd of somewhat quiet women. Then I found out she had four daughters ranging in age, at that time, from 5 to 12. Hhmmm! Immediately I thought, a constant supply of babysitters for as long as I will need a babysitter!

It didn’t take long to find out there was much more substance to Sue than the fact she could supply me with babysitters. She and I thought alike on so many things. And her husband, Ken, had played baseball for the New York Yankees! Wow! I was impressed.

We watched each others children grow up. I could entertain you with cute things her girls said over the years as they grew. But I won’t! Sue and Ken were lifelong residents of Rochester and so I came to know their extended family also.

In later years, when I went through a traumatic divorce, Sue was one of my strongest supporters. We had long conversations during that time and without a doubt, she was a strong influence in getting me back to my old self.

Even though we both moved away from that neighborhood, and eventually, Sue and Ken moved to Virginia, we still maintained our friendship. I last saw Sue 2 or 3 years ago. Their home in Virginia is not far from where my son and daughter-in-law live and so on one of my trips down there we all went over to visit. It was a very nice visit and I never imagined I would never see her in person again.

Sue was very devoted to her family. That was evident at her memorial service as two of the girls and each of the grandchildren spoke. The minister told Ken after the service that in his 30+ years as a pastor, he had never seen such a heartwarming memorial service.

Sue will always be remembered for her laughter, her sense of humor, and her strong sense of caring. Rest in peace, Sue.