In Memory of a friend....

Sue was driving home to Oregon from Florida and somewhere in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, while looking at a map, she ran off the road. The car rolled two and half times and she was killed instantly. I have been trying to reach her for the past few months, thinking we could meet up in Portland for coffee. Sue was the kind of person you had to really hound to get her to go out. I used to surprise her from time to time, show up at her door and drag her out for Indian food and wine. I always kind of liked that she was so guarded. I wished I could be so clear about my own boundaries. I also always felt special when we did hang out because I knew she wouldn't bother with me if she didn't feel like it. She was one of those people who had learned how to do what they want to do and not feel too guilty about it and I respected that.

Sue Van Schoonhoven was born in Washington, D.C. and relocated to Oregon for her undergraduate studies, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Theory and Application of Mass Media, Theater, and Multimedia. She lived and worked in Japan and Germany and traveled throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. She also recieved her MA in Conflict Transformation. After and during grad school she worked with the CONTACT (Conflict Transformation Across Cultures) Summer Institute. Sue did amazing work with youth from war torn nations. She also documented the experiences of a number of peace workers, allowing them the opportunity to reflect on their past work and future goals. The theme of her most recent work was the empowerment of women and children from around the world. Sue was deeply dedicated to the process of transformation of conflict and human rights and to advancing women’s roles in these fields.

Though we had both lived in Japan, only 40 minutes apart from one another, Sue and I didn't meet until OB1. OB1 was the first class I had in grad school. It's an insane 2 week marathon of group work and what not. Sue and I were in a group together. This sounds casual, but anyone who has been through OB1 knows this means we spent sometimes 10 hours a day together frantically putting together projects and writing papers. It was stressful and hectic, but we really got to know one another. Sue seemed kind of shy at first, but once you got her talking she has an edge to her. I loved her sense of humor. We had an awesome group that worked well together and during that time, we became friends. Sue was funny. She had a beautiful voice. She sang and played the guitar. She also had a beautiful spirit and spent most of her time taking care of others rather than herself. I don't know what else to say other than I can't believe she's gone.

I miss you Sue. I'm sorry I didn't hound you more to meet up with me. I wish I had followed through. I'm glad for every moment we had together. You touched my life, even if that is cliche and nothing like a Joni Mitchell Song. I could drink a case of you, and still toast the dawn with a smile and have peace.