Bio, 2014: Susan Persons
Moved from Stillwater to Huber Heights, Ohio for my senior year. Then moved to San Antonio, Texas to start college. Graduated from Baptist Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1967. Married Wil Uecker shortly after that. Moved to Austin, Texas for the next 6 years while he went to school getting his various degrees until he got hisPhD and I worked at Seton Hospital. We moved to the University of Iowa in1973 along with our newborn son for Wil’s first teaching position. Now it was my turn for school and I finished my bachelors and masters degrees in nursing there. Had a wonderful job in the psychiatric clinic at the university where I did consult-liaison work as well as carried an out patient caseload. Iowa City was a wonderful place for a young family but so cold!. We moved back to Texas when our son was 12 years old, much closer to both our families. I worked in the huge Medical Center in Houston as well as teaching nursing at a local private college then at UT Houston. Started a PhD program but grew weary with that! Started my own business providing continuing education to nurses. Traveled to Europe, Vietnam, China.
Married 34 years when we divorced. Painful at the time. Now 12 years later, realize it opened some wonderful new doors. Bought my own home, started doing medical-legal work and then moved to the sand barrier island of Galveston off the coast of Texas. Active in my church, Unitarian Universalist. After retirement at age 60, took art classes and traveled. Volunteered in Belize twice counting reef fish in 30 feet water for World Heritage project. Continued to travel to Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa and often to Hawaii where one of my brothers live.
Survived the awful 2008 hurricane Ike which caused $250,000 damage to my home. Had evacuated. Spent 5 months rebuilding as did most of my friends. We all love our little island. My son and his wife lived here at the time. No damage to their home but both jobs were gone. So off to Sacramento, they went to be near her family and his work, thankfully, transferred them. Like all of us who are grandparents believe, my 4 year old Willow is the cutest, brightest! My son and his family are a great joy to me. My ex lives near them and we keep a cordial relationship.
I have enjoyed being single for these past 12 years. Have many dear friends. Fulfilling a bucket list dream, I just returned from an around the world cruise, 104 days, on a British ship. Went by myself, although a girl friend did join me on the leg from Dubai to Hong Kong for 25 days.
But the incredible thing is that I met a Brit on my second day on the cruise who was a friend for a month and then we were gobsmacked by love for the remaining time. Dave is a 73 year old bachelor, retired engineer who has made 175 trips to US for both work and pleasure. After returning home with daily skyping, we realize its real, not a ship board romance. So we are busily trying to arrange our lives to be together. He will be here in June for a month or I will be in England depending on a follow up report on his past voice box cancer. Not putting off being together. He’s an avid traveler like me, so our plans are winters in Canary Islands and Mexico. I have been much blessed.
Recent picture of Susan Persons with Dave Gilligan
©2009 Stillwater High School Class of 1964