There
have always been women in my life and I have always been grateful for
them. I've talked of those from my decade with Weight Watchers and Our
Weigh. In my teens there were Susan Schwartz, Roselyn Giordano and
Gloria Koenig and in my 20s it was Mary May, Durinka, Gonzales and, at
the beginning of my 30s, Addie Kaplan and Joan Endel. There were 3 other
ladies of the many who are and will always be part of my life.

I
won't talk much about Gene though there is a lot I can say but I don't
think she would want me to and I have a tremendous respect for this
smart woman. We have now been friends for over 43 years though I don't
remember the last time we actually saw each other. I don't see any
reference to her in my last 3 New York trips but for some reason I
remember we did get together. Gene and I don't exchange gifts but if we
see something we feel the other would like it goes in the mail. At one
crucial point she helped me financially for which I will always be
grateful and another time she said something to me that started my life
to change. I was working in Memphis and had written her that I was
working 24/7 for Weight Watchers  and I loved it, that it was my life.
She simply asked, "And what if there was no Weight Watchers?" It got me
thinking so I really wasn't panicked when a few years later there
wasn't.

Sue Dunne also
taught me an important lesson. Her dream in life was to retire from her
regular job and open an antique shop on 3rd Avenue. Aside from raising a
child as a single mother she put a few dollars away for that dream. At
the age of 62 she retired from her job as an accountant and manager for
one of New York's upscale restaurant at One Fifth Avenue, found the
store location, got it set up, got her first Social Security check and
died of a heart attack 3 days later. Don't put off doing things you want
to do--I see it here where so many old folks bemoan the fact they
didn't travel when they were young and had the energy or their money
hadn't been eaten up by medical expenses.

I just want to quote some things from my diary to give you an example of what kind of woman Sue was.

"September
27, 1983  Sue picked us up at the theatre, after we saw "Torch Song
Trilogy", with a chauffeured limo and we went to the Stage for a bite to
eat--then to 1/5th for dessert and afterwards went to the "Boysbar"
that Sue's friend Richard owns and then she sent us to the hotel by the
limo--I took a walk around Times Square--VERY SEEDY AND SLEAZY"

"September
28, 1983  Sue really topped off the evening with another limo--I know
she is unhappy with her weight and uses limos because unless she could
get a checkered cab she wouldn't be able to fit in it."

"September
29, 1983 Sue had a limo pick us up at the hotel to meet her at
Marchi's--regarding the check, which I was going to pick up, Sue said
she still had a deposit there from her birthday party and that they
would apply it to the bill--I paid the difference which didn't come to
that much--after the dinner Sue took the limo up to the Polo where we
were going to meet her as we decided to walk from 31st to 52nd after
that dinner--Tommy, Chuck, Bill and I continued on our way after Bob
took off on 46th street to go back to the hotel. The Polo was a piano
bar and Sue's friend Bob was playing there--I bought everyone a round,
cruised the bartender and Sue brought over a good looking, sexy
Brazilian she introduced me to--sadly he wasn't sober and I couldn't
handle drunks anymore now that I wasn't drinking--even though Sue
offered them the limo Tommy and Chuck took a cab back to the hotel.

"September
30, 1893 Sue, knowing that we were spending the day walking around the
Village, suggested we stop at the Li-Lac, a chocolate store on
Christopher Street--unknown to me another friend of Sue's owned the
place and told him to send a duplicate of whatever I bought and send it
to me in Fort Lauderdale."

"October
1 and 2, 1983 "We, Bill, Tommy, Chuck and I, went to see the first
matinee performance of "La Cage Aux Folles" after opening on Broadway
and we met Sue at Keane's for dinner--she picked up the check and the
next day we went to 1/5th where Sue insisted there was no check. After
brunch Sue offered us a limo to take us to the airport but Chuck and
Tommy had already left and with Bill and I having 2 hours before we had
to go to the airport we decided to stroll around the Village. I kissed
Sue goodbye."

Sue was
generous to all her friends and wanted nothing in return except her
little antique shop and her friends. She is still missed by many all
these years later.

I was also going to talk about Eleanor but it would make this post too long so

TO BE CONTINUED