After some 40 years of teaching I still got a thrill and my heart pounded quietly proud every time one of my students won an award, or when they came back to see me and tell me what they were doing and where they had used some of the knowledge I passed on to them. That is what I want to be remembered for even more than my painting…helping people see the beauty around them in even the littlest things.
I want to say thank you to those ladies that crossed by path, even the brief encounters. Each one meant a lot to me, and I hope to you. A few of you knowingly or unknowingly became a muse that led to some of my better paintings, you know who you are.
I want to thank all of my friends and family that stuck with me over the years, putting up with some of my weird idiosyncrasies. Tolerating my more obnoxious traits and not pointing fingers. Thank you…you all are what made me the way I was and were responsible, at least in part, for both the good and bad. There were a lot of good times with very few bad experiences. I hope that you will take some of those happier moments and fill the space that I once was with good memories, and be happy.
To those to whom I was a thorn in their side…that’s tough, get a life. I am gone.
I am off to the spirit world to see if I can chase down that red head, Myrtle Kerr, the lady that pushed me into art and changed my life forever, and my Mom and Dad who gave me the slack to grow in wisdom from the school of ‘hard knocks’ and a lot of “I told you so”.
A special thanks to my daughter, Lisa, my sister, Margaret, and Saints Jane and Jessica, who helped me get through the end and made it an easier trip.
I am survived by my daughter, Lisa Sudela, and her husband, Timmy; grandchildren, Michael and Casey; sister, Margaret and her husband, David; two nephews, David Charles and Matthew and his wife, Kiki and their daughter, Keller.
To those who desire, a memorial donation may be made to The Beaumont Art League, Humane Society of Southeast Texas, or the charity of your choice.
In the lyrics of Terry Allen’s song, “I Just Left Myself Today” I say goodbye. fg
“Well, I just left myself today. Hell, I couldn’t wait to get away. There’s still a smear across the mirror that I have been, but it won’t reflect on me again, cause I just left myself today. Yeah, I just packed me up and went away, I didn’t float, I didn’t fly, I did not transcend, no I just walked out on me, again, again.”
Cremation arrangements were handled under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont.