Suzanne Glass Obituary

Suzanne Glass, 74, of Salem, died Saturday, November 1, 2008, with her family by her side. She was born on January 15, 1934, a daughter of the late Anna Blanche Richards Glass and James Burleigh Winston Glass. Sue graduated as Valedictorian of the class of 1956, at Roanoke College. She then earned her Master's of Arts degree in Mathematics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Sue then returned to Roanoke College as Associate Professor of Mathematics and retired after 36 years of service. Sue, an exceptional athlete, was a charter member of the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame. Tennis was her primary sport and she was proud of having won the Roanoke Valley Tennis Tournament ten out of twenty years running. Sue also loved her church. She was a member of First United Methodist Church for 38 years and took great joy in singing in the choir. Sue is survived by her devoted friend of more than fifty years, Ginny Thomason, of Alexandria, Va.; three brothers, Burleigh Winston Glass, of Warsaw, James Wesley Glass and his wife, Jane, of Roanoke, Richard Gerald Glass, and his wife, Suzanne, of Radford; a sister, Faye Glass Dews, of Roanoke; and a sister-in-law, Elizabeth Downing, of Roanoke; six nieces, Janet G. Dickey, of Easton, Md., Kathryn D. Singletary, of Salem, Jennifer Glass, of Branford, Conn., Anna G. Toth, of Leesburg, Nancy Glass, of Baltimore, and Sarah Glass, of Lynchburg; five nephews, Richard T. Dews, of Moneta, James Burleigh Glass, of Canton, Mich., James Wesley Glass, Jr., of Stuarts Draft, William Burleigh Glass, of Roanoke, and Robert Wayne Paitsel, of Evans, Ga. A Celebration of Sue's Life will be held on Thursday, November 6, 2008, at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Salem with the Rev. Dr. D. Michael Houff officiating. The family will receive friends at the church immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to The Sanctuary Choir of First United Methodist Church, 125 West Main Street, Salem, VA 22315. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford, is assisting the family, 540-586-3443.

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Published by Roanoke Times from Nov. 2 to Nov. 3, 2008.

Memories and Condolences
for Suzanne Glass

11 Entries

Ginny Thomason

November 9, 2008

For those who were unable to attend Sue's Celebration of Life on Thursday at her church, I am posting the eulogy read by the minister and written by Ginny, her devoted friend of 50 years.

Our dear and beloved friend Sue’s character was impeccable. She is best described as dignified, ethical, disciplined, humble, kind, patient, non-judgmental and forgiving, modest, brilliant, dedicated, frugal with herself yet generous with others, witty, talented, and athletic.

No one could imagine a better friend than Sue. Her friends knew they could always depend on her, and they could trust her to keep confidences. Sue enjoyed her friends and we always shared fun, laughter and good times together. Sue and Ginny met on the hockey field at Roanoke College in September of 1958 when Ginny was 16 years old. They have especially enjoyed their world travels together, mostly enjoying the people they met, the local countryside and numerous nature walks. Many days were spent without visiting museums and cathedrals, but enjoying the birds, penguins, pelicans and dolphins. During Sue’s final days in the hospital and at Brandon Oaks, doctors, nurses, and visitors thanked them for demonstrating the true meaning and value of a 50 -year friendship, and how everyone needed such a friend.

Sue’s family was very important to her. She remained constantly connected to her sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and other family members. One of her favorite pastimes was to reminisce about times spent with parents and siblings. Throughout her life she was very generous with all of her relatives. She was extremely proud of her family and whatever she did for them was done quietly and with no desire for glory. Two family members recently expressed the thought that Sue was the “glue” that kept the family together. Whenever any single member wanted information about any relative, they could always ask Sue, and she would know.

Sue loved her church and especially singing in the choir for over 38 years. Her beautiful, rich, alto voice was an asset to any choral group.. She was a dedicated choir member, and spent many hours practicing her parts even during vacations to Key West. A choir member recently wrote on a card that she missed Sue in the choir, and that the alto section needed an ANCHOR. Sue often said she felt honored to have been able to sing under the direction of Bill and Judy Snyder.

Sue possessed a brilliant mind. She graduated from Jefferson High School and Roanoke College as valedictorian. She was associate professor at Roanoke College after graduation from VPI with a Masters Degree in Mathematics. In spite of her intelligence, she was able to make mathematics fun as she patiently explained difficult concepts to her students in a way they could understand them. She has remained friends with many former students throughout her retirement. She also remained close friends with faculty members at Roanoke College, especially Jane.

Tennis was a huge part of Sue’s life since she was 12 years old. Sue was the first and only woman to ever have played on the Men’s Tennis Team at Roanoke College. She loved playing several times weekly with her friend Sandy for the past 40 years. There are very few people who can claim to have beaten Sue on the tennis court. Her tennis friends describe her as ferocious, yet marvel at her ability to glide across the tennis court with the gracefulness of a gazelle. Sue was very happy to have traveled to Paris for the French Open, London for Wimbledon three times, and to New York for the US Open 12 times, and to have played on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

The finest tribute we can give Sue is to follow her example as we live our lives, and before we act, to consider what Sue would do in each situation. We will all miss Sue, but she would ask that we replace our tears of sorrow and grief with smiles and laughter as we recall the wonderful memories of our times together.

Pat Good

November 7, 2008

My friendship with Sue goes back almost 50 years, when she and I were both members of Huntington Court United Methodist Church in Roanoke. Hadley Hunt was my youth choir director and before I stepped up into the adult choir, he took a position in Lynchburg. Alan Bostwick was the minister of music following Hadley. Since I had outgrown the youth choir, I timidity started going to adult choir. Sue was in the alto section and she was precise in her music, always on pitch, and her timing was perfect—except for one time. I forget what we were singing but, if I remember correctly, Sue came in at the wrong time. Alan stopped rehearsal, and just said, “I don’t believe it.” And everyone laughed. And, Sue laughed also—as Kim described, “with cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling.” A few years later, Alan had moved on, and we had another choir director—Sally Anne Eatough (now Goff). One lovely afternoon, Sally Anne and I found ourselves climbing Peaks of Otter with Sue as our guide. Neither Sally Anne nor I were in as good a shape as Sue. We were walking up the road, and just about the time we would be getting our breath, Suzanne would say, “Let’s take a shortcut” and up the side of the mountain she would go with us trying to keep up with her. After about three of these shortcuts, I remember Sally Anne saying that she knew Suzanne was part mountain goat. Sue and I were also in Roanoke Valley Chorus together. On November 15, 1965, the Chorus gave a performance at St. John’s Episcopal Church, performing Mozart’s “Glory, Praise and Power” and Suzanne was one of the two contralto soloists. We had LP’s made of each performance. About three years ago, I decided these needed to be made into CD’s. I called as many people as I could remember and Sue was one of them. She indicated she would like a set and when I delivered them to her, we sat down and chatted about what we had been doing. She was the same Sue as I remembered so long ago in the adult choir at Huntington Court when I first met her. The world is a much better place because of her. As Becky wrote, she had “talent, humor, kindness, and integrity.” Once you got to know her, you loved and respected her. And, as Michael wrote, “through the Grace of Our Lord, we will meet again.” Last night I participated in the annual “All Saints Memorial Concert”, singing the “Fauré Requiem” with St. John’s Episcopal Church Choir. I sang it in memory of my friend, Sue. And, Ginny, I am so thankful to have met you at Sue’s service. You were truly her wonderful friend.

Peggy Yount

November 5, 2008

Fifty "golden years" of friendship between Sue and Ginny are to be honored. They complimented each other in every way,shared so many common interests and always were considerate, caring and respectful of others. Ginny Thomason is my sister, so I remember Sue with many happy memories, much laughter and lots of fun. Our whole family enjoyed Sue's sense of humor, kindnesses and her warm and accepting attitude. Sue and I would often say how lucky we were to have Ginny in our lives. Good friends like Sue and Ginny are angels. You don't have to see them to know they are there. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you! Celebrate Sue's Life ...she never counted the minutes but made each minute count!

Rev. Becky (Crush) Proctor

November 5, 2008

I first met Suzanne Glass as a fellow alto in what was then the Roanoke Valley Chorus, some 40 years ago or more. All the qualities others have mentioned were obvious then - talent, humor, kindness, integrity, etc. My family was honored later when she agreed to rent the apartment which had been built in our home. It was indeed her home, as she became a welcome part of our family. We loved her and we felt the quiet, steady love she had for us. A unique and very special human being, her loss will be felt more widely than she would ever have believed or acknowledged. To her family and friends, our prayers are with you, especially as you celebrate her life in memory and in worship.

Kim Lunetta

November 3, 2008

As the obituary says, my mother, Ginny Thomason, was Sue's devoted friend for more than 50 years. Sue was a constant in our lives, more than any actual family member, in fact. Sue wasn't accustomed to being around young children, and when my brother and I were young, it wasn't easy for her to spend what would have been carefree "tennis only" vacations with the two of us. For my mother's sake, she tried. Over the years, we had lots of fun with Sue on the beach and boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. As I grew older, I realized what a patient and selfless person she was. By the time my daughters were old enough to hold junior tennis rackets, Sue found a way to connect with them, too -- patiently teaching them to hold their rackets, only to watch them repeatedly do it wrong! They, too, have fond memories of her. Sue stood by our family through numerous trials and tribulations, patiently waiting for the appropriate way to help, and then quietly offering whatever assistance she could. When I think of Sue, she's laughing -- cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling. As everyone must know, she had a terrific sense of humor and a unique ability to laugh at herself -- an absolutely necessary skill, given how much my mother enjoys teasing. The void Sue left behind in those who loved her will never be filled, but there is no doubt she is in a better place, free of the pain and suffering of this life.

Ryan Hutchison

November 3, 2008

For all of you who have not had the honor of knowing Sue, my words do not begin to express the very content of character she possessed. Sue's enduring smile and laugh will remain as timeless as the words she sang, and the lessons she taught. I am the person I am today for the very heart, love and integrity that Sue so gracefully exemplified in her everyday life. I will miss our chats on school, tennis, and cars. To Sue's extended family, I offer my deepest sympathy . I love and will miss you friend.

-Ryan

Lou Kamm

November 3, 2008

Sue is the sister of one of my best friends: Billie Glass Taylor who precided her in death. I saw Sue many times when she devotedly visited Billie. We celebrated Billie's 90th birthday together. Billie loved Suzanne and I always enjoed her visits to see Billie. They loved going to Ocean City, Md.

Peggy Lou (Bower) Metzger

November 3, 2008

I have many fond memories of Sue at Monroe long ago. She was indeed a great tennis player and she was pretty darn good at her trombone too! Please know that all of you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Fran M Arfaras

November 3, 2008

This was quite a shock since I hadn't seen Sue for a number of years. My sympathy to all those very familiar family names. Even though we didn't see each other often, I still consider Sue and Nancy Leonard Calvert as my best friends from church and school while growing up. Sue will be missed by a legend of students and friends.
Frances Lee Murray

Michael Lupton

November 3, 2008

I first saw Sue on the courts at Indoor. Looking through the glass window, it seemed she was on ice, gliding with grace and strength and then placing the tennis ball exactly where she wanted to, much to the dismay of her opponent. I had just moved to Virginia and upon seeing Sue, I wanted to play just like her. It took me months to have an opportunity to play her. Even though she beat the tar out of me ALL the time, she was gracious and agreed to play me again. We became friends and stayed in touch after I left Virginia. Sue had great respect for all humankind. She loved her family and always looked forward to time with them. She forever expressed her good fortune to have such a great family and dear friends like Ginny, Stephany, Sandy, and Pat and others. Her church family was of great significance to her. She loved the choir and its ministry. My life is better for knowing her. This earth is better for her being here and now, Heaven rejoices at her Homecoming.
I will miss her grace, her generosity, her sense of humor, and her presence in my earthly life. But through the Grace of Our Lord, we will meet again.

Sharon Mitchell

November 2, 2008

Suzanne was a life-long family friend and my mother's favorite tennis opponent! Suzanne was the best female tennis player I have ever known. She was calm, caring and a wonderful example for her students at Roanoke College. I will miss her and my mom also feels the sadness over the loss of her dear friend. She is now well and with God. She fought her illness with determination and grace. My deepest sympathy to Suzanne's family and close friends. A true champion, she has moved to a better place. "Sherry" Stanley Mitchell

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