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Fiona, Scott & Allan Maxwell planted 3 trees in memory of Susan Auth
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
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Susan Handler Auth
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Tim Wintemberg posted a condolence
Friday, May 12, 2023
My condolences to Rachel, Ron and the rest of Susan’s family.
I had the great pleasure of working with Susan in designing a number of museum exhibitions from the early nineties until her retirement.
Her depth of knowledge--and her generosity in sharing it approachable ways--made for great visitor experiences in projects like Stepping into Ancient Egypt; Pashed’s House. This project centered on recreating a walk-in, interactive reconstruction of a tomb painter’s house and Susan was key in filling it with wonderful rich, details of history, culture and architecture. Susan’s approach succeeded in demystified ancient Egyptian art by bringing to life the stories of ancient people and showing that they were not obsessed with death, but rather engaged with perpetuating the best parts of their lives.
I will miss Susan, her wonderful backbeat sense of humor and her lovely Hepburn-esque accent.
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Virginia Bower uploaded photo(s)
Sunday, April 30, 2023
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At Susan and Ron's house
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Celebrant: Ruthann Disotell posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Good morning. My name is Ruthann Disotell. I am a Life Celebrant
with Celebration of a Lifetime. It is my privilege to come alongside
and share the story of who died, and why their life mattered to those
in the room. My process in creating these services is to have a private
conversation with each member of the immediate family. Through
their generosity, I am honored to share Susan’s story with you today.
Before we begin, I would like to ask Susan’s twin sister, Sarah and her
daughter, Rachel, to stand with Ron.
I would like to offer each of you a remembrance leaf, worn in memory
of the one who fell from family tree. The leaf is shown holding a heart,
much like our loved ones hold our heart long after they’ve gone.
It is offered with this poem…
Some leaves wither and drift away; others rip off in a storm;
This leaf rests upon my heart to keep your memory warm.
May this symbol of your family and the love you share, bring comfort
to your hearts. Whenever you want her near, if you go somewhere she
should be with you, bring her along. It is in remembering that we
return to our joy.
Susan battled with Alzheimer’s disease for 7 years. It was oddly lucky
that it was not a terrible progression over the years, and it actually
helped her with her tendency of social awkwardness. She began to
slide right into lovely conversation and deep appreciation for the
world around her.
She continued reading the New York Times, which was a tool in
keeping her on track with the world around her.
When asked by nurses how she felt, she loved to toy with them by replying, ‘Etsy-ketsy.’ That’s Greek, for so-so.
She had emergency surgery last month. While in rehab, her
Alzheimer’s took over her ability to function well. Pneumonia
eventually took hold of her, and her body rested on April 22nd.
And now we gather in sadness for the loss of an amazing woman. In
truth though, we are humbly rejoicing for our ringside seat on her life.
Susan was an amazing one.
To tell her story, let’s travel in time to the beginning, so I might set
the world stage for her arrival. Susan’s story begins in 1939.
It was the beginning of WWII
Franklin D Roosevelt / John N Garner were in the White House
This was the year of the first food stamp program.
The world of science discovers the pest-killing benefits of DDT.
We welcome the World’s Fair to New York City.
Eleanor Roosevelt made headlines when, in protest, she resigned her
membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, over the
denial of a black opera singer’s performance at Constitution Hall.
With that, Eleanor made arrangements for Marian Anderson to have
a special concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
In sports, we would cheer to victory: The Yankees, in the Series and
Boston, for the Stanley Cup. Wimbledon would be dominated by Alice
Marble and Bobby Riggs. And the Kentucky Derby would see
‘Johnstown’ nose the wire for the win.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings won a Pulitzer Prize for The Yearling.
Comic books introduce Batman.
The box office welcomes Gone With The Wind.
And the Oscar goes to You Can’t Take It With You.
Back in 1939, the cost of first-class postage was all of 3 cents.
And on June 25, 1939, a first-class delivery was made in New York,
New York, to Arnold Benjamin Handler and his bride, Dorothy
Winifred Young, both British citizens who emigrated to the US that
year. This delivery would be two beautiful daughters, who they would name Sarah and Susan.
Ben (a Russian Jew) and Win had met in the London School of
Economics. Ben was a professor, and the family would move near the
university he where would be teaching. Washington DC, Gleasondale,
Massachusetts and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Winifred raised the girls. Ben’s parents came to live with them, and
Winnie kept a Kosher kitchen for her mother-in-law.
There is a lovely account, written by Sarah, which sweetly describes
their childhood home...
‘The house was on top of a steep hill with large lawn in back, a small
goldfish-filled pond, and willow trees with branches creating
comfortable seats for reading poetry. The garden was surrounded
by low stone walls wide enough for walking along and covered with
fragrant moss roses near the house.’
It brings to mind a lovely poem by Billy Collins
Today
If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze
that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house
and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,
a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies
seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking
a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,
releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage
so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting
into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.
Sarah’s writings continue with…
‘Outside the wall, a path lined with concord grapes led to a pond
where we skated in winter. Further away was the Assabet River. It
was a wonderful place for children and pets. Once everything froze
and we skated down the street to the one-room school where the
teacher taught several grades at once. We sat in long rows of
wooden desks with inkwells. Sometimes a special teacher came to
teach us to write in elegant slanting script and the boys would try to
dip our long braids in the inkwells. On weekends the family would
explore the many nearby historic and beautiful towns.
After dinner Mama would bring her coffee into the living room and
our father would read to us from his favorite books - Winnie-the-
Pooh, Dickens The Pickwick Papers, Kipling’s Just So Stories, Moby
Dick..... He was a wonderful reader and this practice continued long
after we were reading everything on our own. Our father enjoyed
wordplays and puns. He taught us how to write clearly and
succinctly, which was most useful in later life. He was always
orderly with everything on his uncluttered desk neatly arranged in
parallel lines.
The one fashionable dress shop was expensive for faculty wives so
when Mama needed a nice dress she made it herself and she taught
us how to sew. She liked Vogue designer patterns and garments
carefully finished with French seams and bound button-holes.’
Susan had a challenging time with buck teeth as a child and the
embarrassment of braces.
Violin was a lovely diversion. She played in string quartets. She loved
performing. This was a strong contrast to Sarah, who was frustrated
by the piano.
Susan loved going for walks. And she got involved in groups that led
to her passions, like Coptic art. With relatives scattered all over the
world, steamer ships would allow them to travel around the globe for
visits to feed her appetite for different cultures.
Susan received her bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College in
Greek (1960), pursued a Postgraduate at University of London,
earned her MA from University of Michigan in Archaeology, which
followed by a Postgraduate at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
She finally received her PhD from Bryn Mawr College in
Archaeology, with her dissertation focused on numismatics (the study
of ancient coins).
Susan participated in archaeological digs in Croatia, Greece, and
Turkey, served as a curatorial assistant at the Toledo Museum Art,
and as an assistant professor of ancient art and archeology at Rutgers
University. In 1976, she authored Ancient Glass at the Newark
Museum and continued her career as curator of collections of ancient
Grecian, Roman, and Egyptian, glass and Coptic art at the Newark
Museum from 1971 until her retirement in 2006.
An accomplished academic, she earned countless awards throughout
her life, most notably: Summer fellow American Numismatic Society,
1963; Fulbright scholar, 1964-1965; grantee Smithsonian Institute
1971, Ford Foundation 1975, National Education Association 1975 and
Mellon 1990. And she dedicated her time to renowned institutions
including the Archaeological Institute of America, The International
Association of Glass, International Association of Egyptologists, and
the Coptic Art Society.
She met Ron Auth while she was in the Art History dept of Rutgers.
At a Halloween party, they were the 2 not wearing costumes.
Ron lived a much different childhood. He grew up on a farm in
Monroe Township New Jersey. He was very mechanically inclined
and like Susan, curious about his passion… with dirt.
She married George Ronald Auth, whom she affectionately called
‘GR’, on January 1, 1971, in Ann Arbor, MI and remained happily
married for 52 years.
This was not a marriage made in heaven. She was an educated,
independent, spirited old maid at 32 and a Jew. He was 30,
uneducated, Catholic homebody. The families didn’t get it. Ron
brought with him into the marriage, visitation of his children, Theresa
and Richard, from a previous marriage.
For whatever reason, Susan did not like to be touched. It wasn’t until
much later in life that they were both looked at as each having a
relationship with autism. Their relationship worked. They built their
house together.
They welcomed a daughter, Rachel, into their world and loved being
parents; teaching her all they knew about the world.
Susan enjoyed learning about new cultures and trying to learn new
languages. She helped to facilitate tour groups. They traveled
extensively. Those trips around the world with these groups would
become family vacations to Europe or Russia. What an amazing
adventure it would be to live with the locals in the places they would
visit.
While stateside, Grandfather’s home in Hilton Head would be their
favorite spot.
The family enjoyed a combination of religious holidays, with
Passover/Easter, Hannukah/Christmas. The Heismans, who lived
down the street, would share in these celebrations and make them so
special. Mrs. Heisman was a professional belly-dancer. So,
somewhere between the two moms, dinner conversations were lively
and full of giggles.
Laurie, the younger Heisman says, “Susan Auth was the most
exceptional woman with such a huge presence in my childhood. She
taught me to think for myself and always look for the truth. During
my numerous afternoons at her house as a child, anytime I had a
question, she would get out her beloved encyclopedia and we’d look it
up. She would tell me all about the subject and we’d discuss it until
my little brain and body couldn’t sit still any longer (which wasn’t
very long, lol).
‘I have so, so many standout memories, being fortunate to grow up
around such a brilliant woman. One of which was Susan’s inspired
idea to create a caroling group with the kids on the street around
Christmas. She would get The Bentley Road kids crew to practice in
the lead up to Christmas and we wouldn’t dare let her down. Then we
would have to sing extra loud to get a note in above Susan’s soprano.
It was all worth it in the end, as we would be gifted cookies or other
treats as a reward for our efforts.
I was also fortunate enough to share many Passovers and
Thanksgivings together at Susan’s house. The memory list from these
occasions is long and beautiful. I generally just hear Susan’s voice
saying, “Giggle girls” in her attempt to get Rachel and I out of
laughing fits.
Her turkey carving skills and lead singing during Passover will be in
my memory forever. Further, her flaming plum pudding at my
mother’s eclectic Christmas gatherings were always a hit.”
Susan was blessed with grandchildren: Penelope, Jolene and Freya
and loved them dearly.
In her down time, Susan enjoyed hikes, continued to play violin with
a chamber music group, and was an avid gardener.
Her life’s soundtrack was the Classical stylings of Mozart and Bach.
But she also loved culturally themed holiday music with Silent Night,
White Christmas, and Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel.
Susan continued to love travelling, especially to Greece.
Jeff recently asked her where else she would like to go. “Well, Jeffrey,
I’m a little bit old.”
She had a study (not an office). She read and ruminated in this special
place with floor to ceiling books on 3 of the 4 walls. A life-long learner
with a love for ancient art and Egyptology, she translated ancient
Greek texts (for fun), and voracious reader.
Along with all of her explorations in the arts and cultural studies, she
was also a student of Emily Post manners. Be sure to chew 30 times,
please. And in addition to her archaeological digs for months at a
time, she loved digging into murder mysteries, Spanish sailing ships,
art, history, academic journals, and Egyptian studies; all with a cat on
her lap.
Which brings us to her favorite poem on cats, entitled…
The Naming of Cats
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
Aside from those cats, Susan revered her mother, who when women
in her time were expected to marry and settled down to have children,
did things that were out-of-the-box, like obtaining her master’s
degree in economic history.
That confidence led Susan to be an adventurer, curator, and a bright
librarian. She liked to refer to herself as mutton dressed as lamb. She
was impeccably poised. Her skirt hem was below the knee; she was
appropriate, brightly colored, with sensible shoes and statement
jewelry - with a story to tell about each piece. She was intellectual,
curious, and tolerant. She had a unique personality, was always true
to herself and her passions, and her societal manners were spot on.
Her colleagues say…
"She was not only an exceptional curator but a very kind and lovely
person."
"She was one of the smartest curators we had, and I was always
impressed by her scholarship. She also had a wonderfully quiet, yet
drole, sense of humor."
Laurie concludes by saying, “Susan Auth, it was such an honor to
grow up in your presence. I am forever grateful for all the wisdom you
shared, and I will always cherish those memories.”
Rachel
My childhood was fairly idyllic and typical for suburban NJ - lots of
riding bikes, climbing trees and running around the neighborhood
playing with all the other kids.
Every day I would get home from school and change into my “play
clothes” and roam the neighborhood until my mom yelled in the most
off-key singsong “R-SIE ITS TIME FOR DINNER”
And I would go in for a dinner that was always very colorful- my mom
believed that the health of a dinner plate was indicated by the variety
of colors displayed AND what was on the menu was usually a bit
odd.
So, my mom was talented in many ways, but cooking was not one of
them! She loved food from different cultures- but when cooking she
didn’t actually love to find all the right ingredients AND her cooking
method of choice was the microwave my dad gifted her. So please
imagine an entire pumpkin filled with ground beef, pumpkin, onions,
and raisins spinning around inside the microwave cooking- that will
give you a sense of the culinary adventures we experienced!
So, 90% of my childhood was like this- which I credit both of my
parents for-
Now the other 10% was extraordinary - that was the part that was
purely my mom’s doing.
Due to her interests, curiosity, and career there were experiences
afforded to me that were so unique and so unusual for our middle-
class suburban life….
When I was 8 my mom decided I was old enough (& had good enough
manners) to be taken to Europe to meet her extended family - so off
to the UK and Scotland we went
When I was 9, I met and spent time with the religious leader the Dali
Lama at the Newark Museum during a ceremony to bless a
reconstruction of a Tibetan temple.
Throughout my childhood mom would take me with her to New York
City to visit antiquities dealers and look at various objects as potential
museum acquisitions. Since children were not typical in these
galleries, I ended up being gifted with amazing trinkets - ancient Egyptian scarab beetles, fragments of Coptic textiles with animals
depicted…
When I was 17, we went to Russia where mom was leading a tour
group for the museum, and we met with curators at the Hermitage
Museum in St. Petersburg where I had to help my mom to be polite
during her business meeting by taking her shots of vodka (she was
allergic to alcohol).
And in my early 20s we took a trip to Myanmar to find the house
where my grandmother was born and raised, and we explored as
much of the country as was allowed by the military junta at the time.
These experiences, and many others, gave me a global perspective
and with these my mom shared her joy of learning and curiosity for
other cultures with me. My mom was always comfortable doing
unusual things - she never hesitated to do exactly what she found
interesting. I will be forever grateful to my mom for imparting me
with this same determined curiosity and joy in learning. I hope to do
as well as my mom did by carrying this forward with my girls.
If Susan could have the last word at her service. The consensus is it
might sound something like this…
GR, R’sae, sweet family, dear friends,
You will choose a path that seems right for you. It won’t be what
everyone else would choose… because you are choosing it for you.
Don’t be afraid of it.
What would Emily post say?
Follow your passion and live a great life. Not someone else’s great life.
That wouldn’t be great at all; because that’s not you.
Don’t be Etsy Ketsy. Be your own person.
And remember to enjoy a giggle now and again.
Dear God,
We thank You for the life of Susan and all she meant to so many. And
while we know no number of years are promised anyone in this life,
we can’t help but wish there were more adventurous years with her.
Still, we are grateful for the 83 years she had to influence this world.
We will forever remember her thirst for knowledge, her love of
cultures and her challenges with quirky cooking.
We admire her courage to step out, be more and teach others.
Help us to carry on the very best of her.
May we be fiercely determined to understand the past, so we can live
life well today and plan for a future.
We return her to Your tender care. May her earthly body rest in peace
and her spirit be set free to new adventures.
With grateful hearts, we all say… Amen.
Thank you for allowing me to share in your heart of memories today.
May we emulate the fairest qualities of those we love;
that the goodness they bring to this world would never die.
E
Erin Lee Tittel posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
I can’t think of another friend’s mom that I remember as often as Rachel Auth Melgaard’s mom. I can still hear her singing Raaaaaaacheeeel to call us home for dinner. I can still vividly see her tangled in bird netting protecting her precious garden. She treated our crew of belligerent teenagers like a worthy study in human culture and was genuinely curious and caring about what we were really up to. Her Egyptian exhibit at the museum blew my mind as a kid. She was remarkable. I hope her next life is filled with all the books and archeological sites her heart can dream of ❤️❤️❤️
H
Heidi Warbasse posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
I knew and worked with you mother during the last 5 years of her extraordinary tenure here at the museum. She was not only an exceptional curator but a very kind and lovely person. I will pass this on to the rest of the staff here at the museum. You and your family will be in my thoughts.
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William A. Peniston, Ph.D.D Librarian and Archivist Emeritus posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
I worked with Susan for ten years before her retirement, and I always looked forward to seeing her at openings. She was one of the smartest curators we had, and I was always impressed by her scholarship. She also had a wonderfully quiet, yet drole, sense of humor. I will miss her.
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Amanda Barstow posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
I regret I didn't spend more time chatting with you. Our shared love of Greek culture and cats could have filled many afternoons. I love that Rachel has inherited your sewing skills, inquisitive mind and love for life.
J
Jocelyn and Roger Doxsey posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
A few years ago Roger was working and didn't join me for Christmas. He spent the day at Rachel's house and Susan brought a book for him. So thoughtful and I think it was a mystery? He doesn't read (much) but was delighted to keep it. Such a thoughtful woman.
A
Ann Zeloof posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Susan and I met on an archaeological dig in the former Yugoslavia. She was so kind and thoughtful, making tea for everyone at 5:45 in the morning - we had to make an early start because the temperature became very hot very early. I still remember her knocking on my door at 5:45, her cheerful voice announcing, "TEA!"
J
Jolene Melgaard posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
She was nice and kind also sweet. She was the best grandma ever!
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Vanessa Montes posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Mrs. Auth will be missed dearly but I'm so grateful for the beautiful legacy she left behind in Rachel and for always making me feel I had a home away from home when I needed it most. With love and gratitude.
D
Dolly Blanco posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Susan was such a gracious, interesting person. She shared so much about Turkey with me when we were planning our trip. It was then that I learned she was a curator at The Newark Museum. She was brilliant and lovely and raised you to be just like her. What a joy for her to see you flourish and have a beautiful family and share it all with her. I think of her so fondly- you are an amazing daughter.
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The Benner Family posted a condolence
Sunday, April 30, 2023
I will always remember how smart she was and how she always shared her knowledge. Also her love for cats. Funny memory is when my cat Leo kept welcoming himself into her house and making himself at home!
A
Anonymous purchased flowers
Friday, April 28, 2023
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With heartfelt condolences,JasonMcGlynn and Rachel Murray
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Anonymous planted a tree in memory of Susan Auth
Friday, April 28, 2023
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Teri and Chris Nalbone uploaded photo(s)
Friday, April 28, 2023
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So many happy memories and special times together as a family
J
Jane Foster Buckwalter posted a condolence
Friday, April 28, 2023
Memory of Susan
April, 2023
Susan and I met in 1956, freshman roommates at Swarthmore College. Aside from both being violinists, we had very different interests, Susan the scholar and me the do-gooder (I became a therapist). Nevertheless, we’ve maintained a friendship over all these decades. After I moved to Brooklyn and our children were grown, she would stay with me to do research at the Brooklyn Museum, then share a walk in the park and dinner somewhere. I would visit her for a weekend “in the country” by my way of thinking, raspberry picking and visiting flea markets, although the latter might have especially been out of Ron’s interest in collecting old radios (and ???). Most recently, before covid, we’d meet for a Sunday at a Manhattan museum, where I’d especially enjoy Susan sharing her extensive knowledge of items in an exhibit. She got such pleasure in sharing all that she had learned. She also had a particularly charming laugh, as when, freshman year, she received an Easter card from her (Scottish?) grandmother patiently explaining the basics of Easter, apparently with the belief that such information had not reached her. I will miss Susan, but I trust that her charms live on in her daughter and grandchildren, as well as all others who have been touched by her.
A
Anonymous purchased flowers
Friday, April 28, 2023
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With deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences.
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Sarah Handler and Willis Barnstone posted a condolence
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
SUSAN, LILY OF THE VALLEY
Susan is a lily of the valley
In ancient texts. And she
Loves flowers like a pro
Who knows how they grow
To be a house for love
Featuring blooms above.
Her voice is leaping mountains
Like a gazelle feeding on fountains.
The nightingale has come,
Heard in the land like a blue plum
And grapevines are in bloom.
Come upon us, beauty and assume
Your presence as she feeds sheep
Her face is ever here to keep
Us warm. She is the one our soul
Loves as we wander without toil
Near the chariot of Solomon
Filled with frankincense and cedars from Lebanon.
Be of good heart, daughters of Jerusalem.
Her memory is of lambs with no flaw in them.
Her lips are a thread of beauty,
Voice of the nightingale may be
Her message to stars and a hill
Of spices she will climb and never chill.
She has no fear of lions or a mount
Of Leopards. She can surmount
All fear. Her heart is a jewel of milk
And honey. Her clothing is of silk.
Look for her by an orchard of pomegranates.
Every tree bears her incense and precious fruits.
She may be sleeping but her heart is awake
With myrrh, with perfume. Do not shake
Her absence for she will not vanish. Not above
But here in her gardens, she is live with love.
Do not despair. She is luminous
Like ivory and sapphires. To find her take a bus
Not to paradise but to her history.
Gone? No! She glows in luscious memory.
The deer of the hills know her. Like a gazelle
Or young stag they leap with love and wish her well.
Where is she? Her gaze is daybreak.
Her soul leads us to her garden. There by a lake
Susan is a Song of Songs. Her bed of wheat fills
Her garden like a bright hill of daffodils.
(Susan in Hebrew is שׁוֹשַׁנָּה , shoshana, meaning Lily of the Valley)
By Willis Barnstone (husband of Sarah Handler, Susan’s sister)
A
Anonymous purchased flowers
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
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Anonymous
purchased the Simply Elegant Spathiphyllum and planted a memorial tree for the family of Susan Auth.
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Sending our deepest sympathy Love, Erin & Dustin Byerly And Karen & Rick Tittel
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Tuesday, April 25, 2023
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Laurel Heisman posted a condolence
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Susan Auth was the most exceptional woman with such a huge presence in my childhood. She taught me to think for myself and always look for the truth. During my numerous afternoons at her house as a child, anytime I had a question, she would get out her beloved encyclopedia and we’d look it up. She would tell me all about the subject and we’d discuss it until my little brain and body couldn’t sit still any longer (which wasn’t very long, lol).
I have so so many standout memories, being fortunate to grow up around such a brilliant woman. One of which was, Susan’s inspired idea to create a caroling group with the kids on the street around Christmas. She would get The Bentley Road kids crew to practice in the lead up to Christmas and we wouldn’t dare let her down. Then we would have to sing extra loud to get a note in above Susan’s soprano. It was all worth it in the end, as we would be gifted cookies or other treats as a reward for our efforts.
I was also fortunate enough to share many Passover and Thanksgivings together at Susan’s house. The memory list from these occasions are long and beautiful. I generally just hear Susan’s voice saying, “Giggle girls” in her attempt to get Rachel and I out of laughing fits. Her turkey carving skills and lead singing during Passover will be in my memory forever. Further, her flaming plum pudding at my mother’s eclectic Christmas gatherings were always a hit.
Susan Auth, it was such an honor to grow up in your presence. I am forever grateful for all of the wisdom you shared and I will always cherish those memories.
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Laurel Heisman uploaded photo(s)
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
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Laurel Heisman & Vaughan Coulthard planted a tree in memory of Susan Auth
Monday, April 24, 2023
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Thank you for all of your wisdom Susan. You were a beacon of knowledge in my childhood and I treasure all of the memories we shared. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree
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The family of Susan Handler Auth uploaded a photo
Monday, April 24, 2023
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The family of Susan Handler Auth uploaded a photo
Monday, April 24, 2023
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Andee Dooley planted a tree in memory of Susan Auth
Monday, April 24, 2023
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Rest peacefully, Susan Auth. Wishing comfort to all of Susans loved ones, especially my dear friend Rachel Auth Melgaard. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree
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The family of Susan Handler Auth uploaded a photo
Monday, April 24, 2023
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A Memorial Tree was planted for Susan Auth
Monday, April 24, 2023
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We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at Codey & Mackey Funeral Home Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree
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107 Essex Avenue
Boonton, NJ 07005
Richard J. Codey, Owner/Manager, NJ Lic. #3175
Phone: (973)-334-5252