Vale Susan Gogarty

Sadly, we lost one of our most delightful and much-loved members this week: Susan Gogarty passed away, aged 78 years. A highly intelligent and charming person, Susie joined our bridge club in 2008 and loved the game instantly, not to mention the company and friendship she found with us. Susie became Vice -President of Great Lakes Bridge Club.

Born and raised in Tuncurry, Susie then moved to Sydney, achieving her degree at UNSW. She met and married Irishman Brendan Gogarty and lived a colourful and varied life thereafter! The two eventually returned to settle in Tuncurry whereupon Susie became editor of The Great Lakes Advocate, a position she held until her retirement.

Many believe Susie developed this newspaper to become an integral part of our community. An excellent journalist, hours of her spare time was spent ensuring it became a necessary read each week. She generously gave all community groups their space.

Susie loved literature and her talent for writing poetry was remarkable. She was always prepared to discuss and analyse a book’s contents. Other hobbies included cryptic crosswords, swimming, cooking and playing board games.  And, along with Brendan she loved her garden, finding great pleasure in the diverse birdlife frequenting their birdbath. But most of all she loved her dogs, especially Fudge her much-adored poodle.

Susie’s local credentials were impressive. She was a direct descendant of the first European settler in Tuncurry, John Wright, who by 1878 had established a sawmill, store and shipbuilding yard on the site now known as John Wright Park. Susie edited the book “Tuncurry: tapestry of a town.”

Further, Susie’s mother, Valerie Wright was a wonderful artist. Highly respected and awarded in the art world, her paintings have found homes around the world. In 2008, Susie and her only sibling Paula produced a book about their mother, “The Turquoise Tide”. Susie penned the charming introduction to the book.

So much more could be said about this wonderful woman — Susie had ‘flair’. She was flamboyant in her style, almost majestic. But mostly, she was lovable. Described by many as a warm, loving and caring person of her family and friends, she was renowned for making everyone she knew feel special.