Super Susie "Kicks the Bucket"

Dear Friends, Family & Associates,

Last nite @ 6:15pm, Super Susie/Mom/Grandy's indomitable Spirit left her body.

As you know, in July... Mom fondly nicknamed "Super Susie" was diagnosed w/ cancer & given 6-9 months to live. Feeling her own progressive weakening & fighting harder than ever to breathe; at the exact halfway point of 6-9months (7.5months); Mom requested inpatient admission to Stella Maris Hospice of Baltimore. Her stay was short (4 days praise God!)

I arrived on Sunday morning (Valentines Day & her Grandson Paul's birthday)... She was surrounded by a continual stream of family & friends visiting. She was tired. Being an awesome athlete herself, we sat back enjoyed the Olympics & chatted the day away. She dozed in/out... When she'd wake & see us, she'd beem & say "O! Look who's here!" Then she looked deep into the new visitors eyes w/ a look that pierced your soul & say... "I'm going to miss you so much!" "I had a dream about you... I'm going to miss you so! Thank you for being so SPECIAL for me!"

At about 4p, she said "GoodBye" to her son Mike & myself. She closed her eyes & became very silent. Believing this was "it"... We held her hand & waited for her passing. The abyss of time was unending... We waited n waited (it seemed like an eternity)... 30 minutes later Mom opens her eyes, & chides us, "you aren't gone yet?? I thought I told you guys Good Bye"! We responded, "US!?!? We thought YOU were the one leaving!!" We all laughed as Mike & I walked out her door... Knowing she was just where she wanted to be, doing what she needed to do.

The next day/yesterday was different... Mom was restless, she told her first visitor, youngest son, Tom, "I'm sooooo tired!". God sent messages to friends, family, & her fans who met her thru CBS' Early show, National Inquirer, Local TV & Journals... Emails, phone calls, drop in visitors coming in from all around... All were received & appreciated as the continual influx of affirmation, adoration & prayer filled Mom's Room. There was nothing but love in the air!

The message was clear, "Susie, you have played a great game & have taught us well... You can't get any better in this game of Life... it is time to "move to the next level". But how could she?? there was so much love in the room & everyone was saying such nice things about her... She didn't want to leave!! Who would???

At about 5:30p; there were only Weadocks in the room. 3 of Mom's children & 2 of her grandchildren. Tom had just returned from his visit to Sacred Heart Church & meeting w/ the parish priest & the officiating priest. He came back w/ the Plan. "O! Good! everybody's here!" Tom said. "We can review Mom's Funeral Service!"

I then turned to Mom & said, "Mom, we are planning your Last Bucket! Unfortunately this the one you are not here for. So, you have to Move On! We can't do this Bucket if you're around!" Everyone agreed & encouraged her to 'Get UP THERE' where she'd have the best view!!

As we went about the business of discussing the funeral arrangement, it got somewhat contentious. The focus was not on Mom anymore, the tone/mood in the room had changed... no soothing words of Love about Susie... Nothing bad; just Family dynamics...

This Bucket was for US! Not even the service was what Mom had visualized for herself... As we debated music & timing; her grand-daughter Deirdre reached over, took Mom's pulse... We stopped & stared... Mom "had Passed"...

We all looked at each other... I just laughed! Mom had realized that she really DIDN'T need to be around for this family discussion... She just wanted her friends & family to love her & love each other! She could care less about music or venue... Those battles could be officiated by someone else!

So at 6:15pm 2/15/10; without fanfare and with so much Grace... Sewall Boardman Weeks Weadock Mann set out on a new adventure taking her Last Leap w/out a Kite or a Parachute...

Through the Buckets and YOU, Mom learned that she could finally close her eyes, hold her breath.... And TRUST.

Through the Buckets and YOU, Mom learned HOW to Let Go & Let God...


The constant "Giver" to the end... Mom donated her physical body to science. So there will be no Wake & we are giving time for the service Mass so everyone who wants to attend can make arrangements.

The Catholic Memorial Mass will be held on Wednesday February 24, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at The Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Mount Washington, Maryland.

There will be a reception at L'Hirondelle Club 7611 Club Rd, Ruxton Md 21204 immediately following the service.

Please don't send flowers... Instead donate to the Christopher Reeves Foundation for Spinal Chord Injury or to Wheelchairs for the World (sponsored by Joni Ericcson Tata).

Below is a clip that CBS Early Show aired this morning:
http://www.cbsnews.com/1770-5_162-0..html?query=susie+mann&tag=srch&searchtype=cbsSearch

Carpe Diem Everyone!

Thank you for being you for all of US!

Ouisie

Farewell Super Susie

The Early Show chronicled the bucket list of Susie Mann or "Super Susie." Susie Mann passed away from terminal cancer.

Click on the title or pic for CBS' video.

Dog Sledding Off Susie’s Bucket List

POCONO MANOR - Susie Weadock-Mann of Baltimore, Maryland, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer last summer and responded to the news with a “Bucket List” of everything she wanted to do while still here, went dog sledding this past weekend in the Poconos.

Read the full story by clicking on the article title or by clicking here http://pikecountypress.com/wordpress/2010/02/04/dog-sledding-off-susie%e2%80%99s-bucket-list/

MUSH!

Mush!

That describes exactly how our hearts felt upon completion of our Snow Bucket of Dog Sledding!

Since Mom loved the ATV's in the Sedona desert so much, we decided to have Mom's 6th Bucket be Snowmobiling!! Thank you "HS" for suggesting the Inn at Poconos Manor (www.innatpoconosmanor.com)!! It was perfect! So central, homey and offered many activities ("Side Buckets") for each of us... the one that caught Mom's eye was DOG SLEDDING!! How Lucky!! Did you know, outside of 'Poconos Manor' one can only find Dog Sledding in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Canada & the North West. Mom grew up with Dogs & has owned Dogs all her life until she moved into a Retirement Community (where Dogs are not allowed). In a word, Mom was "delighted"!! This Bucket was going to be soooo Special!

But o whoa! The Poconos had NO SNOW!!!! what were we going to do? Snowmobiles & Dog Sleds need SNOW!! After a family "pow-wow", Weadocks decided to forge ahead, stick with Poconos Manor and adapt! We traded the Snowmobiles for ATVs through an icy forest! YIKES! Watch out! Carmen's behind the wheel!! and we took advantage of our collection of athletic tennis enthusiasts & held our first Annual Super Susie Tennis Bucket Cup... the match of Family (Deirdre & Kirk) vs Friends (David & Henry) was exciting!! Deirdre REALLY wanted the trophy so her ending the match with a well placed overhead delivered her heart's desire... the treasured Bucket Cup!! For the "losers" of the Tennis Cup, there was a Rifle Range for Skeet shooting! we had lots to do... no need for Snowmobiles... no need to go Dog Sledding! We have fun anywhere :)

But wait, God had sent us Angels ... the first was Joanne Bennet. She insisted on making Mom's Snow Bucket happen... she talked to her Dad "in heaven" & prayed for his connections on Camelback Ski Resort to 'kick in' to move the mountain to accommodate Super Susie's Dog Sledding adventure! My God!! that's exactly what happened!! Camelback (www.skicamelback.com) cleared its' slopes of the public and groomed its hillside to create a smooth trail for another angel, Special Susie, owner of Arctic Paws (www.arcticpawsdogsledtours.com), to go outside herself & bring her team of 20 Huskies & some great guys to tow our large group in the evening light!

There we stood... 45 people, some strangers to one another & others family... this nite we were all ONE in the name of "LIFE"! The evening was magically serene... clear sky with stars galore, no wind, huge moon shine casting a shadow on the pristine snow ... for a long moment we stood together & just LOVED one another! LOVED who we were, we LOVED what God could do if we asked Him & we LOVED what we stood for... our ability to let go of a disappointment ... and summon the Courage to GET OVER IT!!

Super Susie hopped on the Snow Mobile to get to the Dog Sled. Her grandson Kyle volunteered for the responsibility to guide her sleigh that nite. After a quick lesson on what "NOT to Do".... they were OFF! 35mph along steep slopes of ice & snow! Mom held on for dear life!! Compared to Sky Diving? Mom said "Dog Sledding is MUCH more thrilling!! You are much closer to the ground (& that's where all the accidents happen!!) In the Air in a Hang-Gliding Kite or dangling from a parachute Sky Diving... you are safe until you get close to the ground. In a Dog Sled, you are already on the ground! and you're going FAST! How much fun is it to watch Dogs doing what they were bred to do... carry ME!! I especially loved hearing my grandson Kyle yelling "MUSH"! I knew he wouldn't spill me over... he loves his Grandy! One after the other, 40 riders & mushers... squealed as they were whooshed away by these strong & enthusiastic Huskies!

We were astounded & so grateful... 45 people came from as far south as Virginia & far northeast as Massachusetts! They came from every facet of our family network to support Super Susie's Weadock family as they snowballed into the 6th adventure on our List of "Things To Do" before Susie "Kicks the Bucket"! One after another, friends family & co-workers came to the Inn at Poconos Manor, slapped a Rainbow Bucket Tattoo on their (- - -) & joined "Super Susie" in her quest for the next adventure!

Mom's Health Note: As many of you witnessed, Mom is feeling very very TIRED! for every hour she is "up & doing", she needs 3 hours down! The cancer is moving through her & she is going with it in total grace. This weekend held the most intimate & treasured moments of pure love and adoration for Mom & for one another... We thank God & you for our family growth through "The Buckets"!!

Through "The Buckets"... we may have lost a Mom... but we found each other... we found our Family!

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer."

- Henry David Thoreau, Walden, Conclusion, 1854



"When the drumbeat has been silenced, it doesn't mean that the music has stopped. On the contrary, the drum pauses so that a new melody in the Song of Life can be begin."

- John Cullen Weadock, III, authored for his mother on January, 24, 2010


Tag Lines for this Bucket of Characters:
Mike W: we missed you so very much! behind the scenes you have kept the ball rolling on this Bucket Journey! Thank God for Joanne Bennet!!
John & Chris W: tho' Florida may be cold; you were smart to stay home this Bucket was a chilly one!!
Tom & Ann: thank you for handing the Dog Sled event & distributing the Beads of Life Bracelets (www.BeadsofLife.com)
Deirdre: showed her metal in the 'Family vs Friend' Tennis Final: Deirdre won the Tennis Bucket Tourney 16-14 in the tie breaker!!
Kyle: Master Musher! Took on the challenge of guiding Mom's Sled ... big responsibility considering the precious & fragile cargo in tow!! Yikes!! Have you ever Mushed before??
Paul: Snowboard instructor par excellence! Deirdre says she'll follow you anywhere (as long as it's not on a Black Diamond!)
Shannon: when you weren't playing w/ Molly by day, you were caring for Grandy during the nite... up n down to the 'Froom! Thank you!!
Howard: Mom labeled you the Unsung Hero! Without fanfare, you orchestrated this Bucket... finding the location, planting ideas, encouraging me along the way...
Eric: as Mom said, "He is so adorable! such an amazing smile!" we all so agree... you are officially the 5th Weadock child!!
Monique: How did you get to the Poconos? through Pittsburg from Baltimore??
Kirk Weeks: our Gentle Giant... with a wicked serve!! we adored your kids!!
Ann Weeks: our Historian... thank you for bringing the old family photos and your kids! you add so much to our family fabric!
Schoenfabers: David, you broke the ice at the Dog Sledding Reception w/ your Golf green cap! but were you giving us the finger w/ your High-5 Cap? Barbara... who's watching him??
Henry: you know this road all too well... I am honored that you joined our journey last weekend! Mom just loves her flowers (which are still blooming!)
Crecco's: Liz! thank you for shaking your "indoor man" onto our outdoor ride! Anthony... stay out here w/ us... you & Ronnie are so much FUN to play with!!
Medina's: you should be DRIVEN! It was unfair that your car was side-swiped while it was in the Lot!!
Thomas's: Madison... who were those 'old people' that you came with? next time leave them at home, they are bringing you down!!
Harrington's: BLOOD! Thank you for sharing this ride with us. Your show for 4 out of the 6 Buckets has been sooooooo appreciated!
Polovoy's: BFF!! you too joined us for 4 out of 6 of our Buckets! then you take Mom to dinner, the movies, set-up her DVD player, flowers ... Norman... we'll do the same for you... oops! I meant JL...!!
Lisa Weiss: we missed you so!! but are forever grateful to you for giving us the very personable & talented Deb Grau & her Team!

In the words of Cher, "The Beat Goes On", and with every beat of our hearts, there is Mom's love for not only her but also for each other.

Thank You Everyone... when it doubt... think of Super Susie ... & ... Carpe Diem!

Two more for intrepid Susie's 'bucket list'

An article from the Pocono Record....


Still smiling even though she is fighting terminal cancer, Susie Weadock-Mann, 79, of Baltimore, poses for a picture at Pocono Manor on Friday. She'll be dog sledding and snowmobiling at Camelback to check off two more items on her ‘bucket list.'

Click the title of this post for the full article or follow this link.....

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100123/NEWS/1230329