Cynthia Huber (Major)

I have so many found memories of Sue that I will always treasure. She was always fun and full of ideas.

I know she will be missed by everyone she was close to.

Goodby sweet friend,

Cindy Huber Major 

Chet Holden

I met Susie in the 6^th grade at Willard during Christmas carol practice in the gym. She was sitting on the floor right in front of me so I had a clear view of her ponytail. Or was it a pigtail? I’m not sure about that now, but I am very sure I yanked it. She spun around and glared at me, but I thought I also saw a teensy smile. As time would attest, that simple interface began three precious years of my life. At some point during 7^th grade at Haven, Susie and I warmed up to the idea that we were warming up to each other. We began to talk and walk and one magic day hold hands. It was when we went to see ‘Old Yeller’ at the Evanston Theatre that I leaned over and kissed her cheek. I kissed it again while playing ‘Spin the Bottle’ during a party at Freddy’s apartment. By then Susie and I had become, in contemporary lingo, an item. Today I call it a treasure. My memories of Haven and one semester at ETHS are rich with vignettes of being with her. Frigid skating at Ackerman Park. French fries and phosphates at Walker Bros. Friendship rings. Dance classes at Lincolnwood. And then that day after school when I asked her to go steady. As close as it’s possible for two adolescents to be in some honest form of love, I’m pretty sure we were. Then my dad got transferred to Ohio. I had dinner with Susie’s family the night before we left, and that was that. I saw her one last time after my freshman year at Univ. of Texas. I was a complete and abject jerk. By that time, I was well on my way into more than 45 years of depression and addiction, and that final time together has haunted me ever since. I tried to reach her through this website, which Fred was so kind to allow me to join. I wanted to apologize for my creepy behavior, and hopefully use the peace and grace of 15 years in recovery to catch up on the last 55 years. It wasn’t to be, and now it never will. I’m sure it sounds odd for a man my age to weep from the heart about this, but that’s truly what I’m doing. I’ll hang onto my memories and the feelings they hold, and although I’ll never meet Susan Holly Liechty Hall as a grown woman, I will keep Susie Liechty in my heart forever. My prayers are sent on angel’s wings for the comfort and faith of her family.

Jacqueline Clare (Louis)

Don so sorry for your loss. Knew Sue in high school but that was ages ago.  It sounds like she had a good life and I'm sure she will be missed. Jackie C

Marty Campbell

Chet.  Thankyou for making these amends publically in this in memory forum.  Thank you for joining our website for the very purpose you did.  I think this is most appropriate, for me and all of us.  And your amends are deeply accepted, at very least by me.  Bless you.  Bless your recovery.  Bless your sincere mourning in this instance, this poignant and unique celebration of Susan's life.  Selah

Frances O'Connell

Chet, thank you for sharing  your touching reflections on Sue and the choices we make. All the best to you in your recovery.

Thomas Starck

Chet, this was the most touching eulogy I have ever read.  It was sincere, thoughtful and heartwarming. We all have regrets in life about how we could and should have been a better person, but we are not perfect.  I am glad for your sobriety and the clarity it has brought you. I wish you well on that continued journey.
 

Wendy (Wynn) Garber

Chet, your poignant and thoughtful comments about Susie, and yourself, are beautifully written. Your openness and honesty are a tribute to who you are now, a beautiful soul, as well as a wonderful tribute to Susie. I'm sorry for your loss and for Don's, too. What a very special person she must have been.

Jean Rappaport (Stoll)

Hey Chet, I remember you from Willard School days--went back and looked at the class photos, and you and I were in Mrs. Overstreet's class and Susie was in the other 6th grade class (Mrs. Brink?), which is why you two didn't meet until the Christmas program, probably.  I remember her wearing pigtails, although maybe not by 6th grade.  You both had a twinkle in your eye, a sense of fun and energy, so I can see how you would have connected, even though I lost track of both of you once we got to Haven.  Lots of good memories for you will hopefully counteract the one bad one, and thank you for triggering many fond Susie Leichty memories for me.

Pauline Noznick (Gerstein)

All the sixth graders at Willard knew Susie Leichty, she was a bubbly, friendly girl. She had the lead in the 6th grade play, which was a big deal. I knew her parents and her brothers  since we lived close to each other in the old neighborhood. When we got to Haven, we were split up into many homerooms, and many of us lost touch with each other.  

Chet, I remember you from Willard, and since today is Halloween, I remember trick or treating to your house in the neighborhood.  Your tribute to Susie was touching and I'm glad you were able to bring the memories of her back.  We had a Willard Reunion at Hackney's as a part of the 50th ETHS Reunion and quite a few people attended it, some of them  had moved away and didn't graduate ETHS, I don't remember that Susie was there. We had a visit to the school and Willard is so much bigger than it was when we were there, the auditorium was so much smaller that I remembered it, but the gym looks about the same. There is an elevator now.  But the playground looks the same, the old staircase where Mr Knudsen rang the hand bell every morning is still there, but the bell disappeared many years ago.  Our 6th grade class gave them a replacement, an antique bell that resembled the old one. I don't think that they have a Christmas program like the one we had anymore and I doubt that all the students, teachers and parents could fit into the gym today. Time has passed and I can't identify all the students in the Willard class pictures any more, but I do remember  the Christmas program, Mr Knudsen ringing the bell and Mrs Shaw reading a scary poem at Halloween.

Don Hall

As this year (2021) comes to a close, I would like to share with all our ETHS '64 classmates the Memorial Picture (taken in 1997 @ Son, Matt's H.S. Graduation) and Memorial Biography (prepared by her two sons) for Susan's Memorial Service and internment in the church garden at First United Methodist Church (FUMC), Evanston, IL on October 23, 2021.  Her Son's, Michael and Matthew honored her memory with emotion, dignity and lightheartedness (reflecting on their Mother's quirks).  Susan and I were baptized (among others) on Easter Sunday (6 April) in 1947 at FUMC.  We shared many lasting and loving memories although our paths separated.  We never lost our mutual commitment, love and pride in our Sons and found ways to be assistive of each another in subsequent years through our life-long friendship.  Fairwell...