Late yesterday evening, June 15th, Sue/Mom brought her long cancer journey to a close. While the time spent in hospitals, chemotherapy, and hospice is never easy, we were grateful that every moment had an opportunity for laughter, joy, and finally peace. Even in the final days, mom was able to crack jokes and share her love with all of us.

In the quiet of of our last moments with her, each of us got to think about the ways she shaped us – as a mother, spouse, sister, friend, and more – over the course of her life. And what a life it was! She brought such a gift of energy, joy, compassion and humor to everything she did.

Sue/Mom was someone committed to the importance of memory and the telling of stories. That commitment helped give dignity to the loss of her first son, Matt Hessel-Mial, and did the same for her own cancer struggle. She absorbed as much family lore as possible, pored over genealogical records, and put it together for us to pass on. And as a journalist/historian, she help so many others find their stories too. Near the end of her life, she was still writing – including editing Matt Hessel-Mial’s stories, composing her own cancer memoir, and co-writing historical fiction on the diverse people who built La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Sue/Mom was also someone committed to caring for others. She brought her children up to be the best possible people they could be, in her beautiful 45-year partnership with Dick Mial. She was committed to progressive causes and social justice, always with a bent toward being kind to others. In her most outspoken moments – and we all know how unspoken she could be – Sue/Mom was resolute in her focus on human decency.

As with every life, there is something unfinished for the next generation to take on. We’re so honored to get to take on Sue/Mom’s mission and live by the values she gave us.

We invite you to join us in celebrating her this coming Thursday. Because of COVID19, we won’t be able to do the traditional in-person funeral. But we will be using Zoom to facilitate a service where people can share their stories of Sue/Mom, and honor her memory. The details on that service will be posted on the local synagogue website at Congregation Sons of Abraham.

Sue/Mom, we love you and miss you so much. Thank you for everything you’ve given us. And thank you to all the countless friends and family members who have given us strength during this time.