Prayers for comfort and healing for her family.

 

Deborah.

I just received this from Arthur, Suzie’s husband and am posting it in its entirety, with his permission. I hope you can open Suzie’s picture below.

"Susan A. Ricketson, 56, of Centerville, died Monday morning after a long battle with triple-negative breast cancer.  Susan was the devoted wife of Arthur W. Paquette, of Hingham, and beloved mother of daughters Jessica Ricketson, of Burlington, VT, and Sarah Ricketson, of Boston.  She was born in 1954 in Providence, RI, the daughter of Anne Kiley and Anthony Marino.

 

After graduating from Fitchburg State University, Susan joined the Peace Corps and was stationed in El Salvador for two years, where she worked at a women's clinic.  After returning to the U.S., she worked as a counselor for over 20 years and remained dedicated to under-served populations. 

 

Susan was a lifelong caregiver and advocate for hopeful change in the world.  In 2006, she attended a women's conference in South Africa that focused on improving the lives of impoverished children and AIDS patients.  She was also highly involved with triple-negative and metaplastic cancer research and support.  Susan enjoyed supporting “sisters,” women who were also coping with breast cancer.

 

Susan had a loving and vivacious spirit.  In her free time, she enjoyed going to the beach, visiting with family, traveling, and sewing.  Nothing made her prouder than being a mother.

 

Along with her husband Arthur and daughters Jessica and Sarah, Susan is survived by her parents and siblings:  Catherine Marino, Martha Fernandez, Lisa Marino, and John Marino, and many nieces and nephews.

 

Arrangements for a celebration of life are being made by her family for May 14th.  Please contact celebratesue11@gmail.com for more information.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Susan's name to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, The Peace Corps, or the Kliptown Youth Program of South Africa.”

Thank you, Arthur. I know this Mother’s Day is horribly difficult for you and the girls. Our hearts are with you and we encourage any of you to feel free to post if you would like..

Rest in peace, dear Suzie..

Steve

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=1b8f65c8ca&view=att&th=12fd125c2083a1be&attid=0.2&disp=attd&zw - SueRicketson.JPG

Thank you Steve for posting for Arthur and Suzie! Antother angel gone too soon.......

 

So sorry to hear of another sister loosing the battle!

May Suzie be at peace now and know that she made such a difference in this lifetime to many others with her kindness and love. 

 

May your family rest in your love that you leave for them and that they see the light and follow as that will be you dear Suzie as you guide them home!

 

God bless and keep you and your family, Love Helen in NS

My condolences to her family.

I have a particular sadness about this on many levels...

Suzie, early on, made some oblique references to her career helping folks....she told me “it is so strange for me to have an advocate helping me because I have spent my whole life helping others, but I recognize that I need your help and I recognize that you are a knowledgeable advocate...I was, too, and I know what to look for. It’s just hard for me to do; I am so used to helping others. Hard to accept the help for myself.” She mentioned AIDS at some point but that was the extent of our conversations about her life prior to cancer because once she was diagnosed with metaplastic TNBC that became the central focus of her life and other than talking about her family all of our conversations were about her cancer.

The fact that I really didn’t know all the good work she did in her lifetime makes me profoundly sad...and at the same time her cancer was an overwhelming, non-relenting event. I understand why she didn’t talk about the past because she was so focused on trying to deal with her cancer and she was never able to get ahead of it. As Arthur wrote me, "the cancer was just too much for her."

But, also, I feel, her work was a testament to who she was. She let her good deeds speak for themselves.

In any event, I now appreciate, a lot more, the purity of her heart for so many decades. I feel even more honored to have been a part of her life. Thank you, Arthur, for sharing with us.

Several years ago, for my own sanity, I had to stop trying to figure out why “bad things happen to good people."

Suzie, I miss you,

Steve

I posted this above..

at least on my computer if you click on it..it downloads...there is a slight delay and then it pops up 

let me know if it works please..

I understand what you want to do...but I don’t know how to do it..

all the best,

Steve

I pray for peace and comfort for her family 

Up in the middle of the night....another nightmare so that I don’t want to go back to sleep and “get back into the same dream”...anyone else who does that?

I brilliantly figured...”let me read the NY Times on line; that will take my mind off cancer” and I came across this article about Peace Corps volunteers being raped-

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/us/11corps.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2 - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/us/11corps.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

Suzie was a Peace Corps volunteer so I immediately thought of her...and no, I have no knowledge that she was ever attacked but it occurs to me that invasive breast cancer is much like a rape. It is violently intrusive, unasked for, often beyond the recipient’s control and all too often, incredibly to me, viewed unsympathetically in the work place. A woman I am helping was on a 90 day probationary period and was fired on the 86th day, soon after her company found out she had metastatic disease and is on chemo. How do the folks at companies who make decisions like this sleep at night? Where are their hearts?

Somehow, I think Suzie would have approved this post in the middle of her tribute because she fought for those who needed representation, for those who needed help, as do the victims in this article.

Suzie, a lovely light that is out physically but still shines in our minds/hearts. Your life was a testament to good deeds and those actions will insure immortality. Prouder than ever to have been a small part of your life. 

love,

Steve

"Same dream" thing has happened to me many times, know the feeling! 

The correlation of the cancer to the rape is interesting in that it does invade the body no matter what precautions were in place, affects the psyche, creates that sense of no control, being at the mercy of clinicians and others, and causes PTSD type feelings to emerge, and there is no going back and getting rid of the events once diagnosed. I also was asked to voluntarily resign due to too many days needed off for treatment, so I can relate to the loss of work aspect.  

What an inspiration Suzie was to our too often hurtful world, and I am so grateful to have known her even though momentarily.  

Hoping tonight brings peaceful rest to you Steve.

Love and Peace,

Sue

Linda 

Love,

Caryn

very kind of you,

Steve