Susan was the first person I met when we moved to LJ. We became fast friends at that moment and remained that way. I loved her dearly and miss her very much.
Susan Javiera Burris lived down the street from me in Lake Jackson. I met Susan in the third grade and we were in Mr. Ivey's fourth grade class. Susan was pretty, pretty smart and pretty good athlete. In the 6th grade we had a party at Jasmine hall...that was the big thing back then. I remember going to so many of those type parties at Jasmine hall.....it was the IN thing then. I had Susan in some of my Junior High classes, but do not remember any classes in High School. I did see Susan in College at Stephen F. Austin and would see her at some social functions, but did not hang with her in college. She completed her Bachelor degree in something like three years.....she was very attentive in her studies. Did not see her much after college except at our Reunions. Rest in Peace Susan.
I don’t remember when Susan first came into my life. One junior high school day many years ago she was just there and she was there till we graduated from high school and briefly, beyond. We had classes together all thru junior high. It wouldn’t surprise me if we had every class together during those three years, but it was in high school that we really became close. The only specific classes that we had together at BP High School that I remember were P.E. classes, altho doubtless there were others. What I remember most is that every day we ate lunch side by side, Susan always sitting to my left, for two or maybe all three of our high school years.
That’s a lot of hours spent just hanging out, visiting, eating and getting to know each other. We almost always bro’t a bag lunch from home, disdaining the inexpensive, yet nourishing, lunches prepared at the school cafeteria. We were on a perpetual low calorie (sort of) diet so we could emulate Twiggy or some such luminary. I doubt if we ever reached our goal of Twiggy look alikes. In fact, we were healthy, active and therefore, hungry teenaged girls, whose bodies metabolized perfectly. You couldn’t have convinced us of that, tho’, so we just kept trying with carrot sticks and celery and what have you.
Susan and I both had football jock steady boyfriends who were in our same grade at school and on the same squad. We’d go to the games together, sit together and yell ourselves hoarse, rooting for our guys. Often Susan’s boyfriend’s mom would give me a ride to the out of town games along with Susan. That was a treat for me, not to have to ride the bus, if there even was one. It made me feel so special. That was one of the many gifts Susan so generously shared with me.
Susan was a good student and made good grades. I shared that quality with her, but where we diverged was in P.E. Susan was an athlete and excelled at sports. I remember watching her during class, so graceful with perfect coordination and balance. She was tall and had an athlete’s body, healthy and well proportioned with to-die-for legs. Those legs were straight and strong, all rippling muscles and not an ounce of cellulite. I realize now that I also have a strong athlete’s body and have become a regular gym rat in my old age, but in those days, unlike Susan, I was just too lazy and unmotivated to do much in the way of sports.
Susan was invited to and attended all sorts of social, extracurricular functions outside of school. She was a beautiful and very sweet girl who was liked by many and welcome at most social functions. I remember her at birthday parties, boat, beach and pool parties all thru the years. Then there were countless teas and breakfasts attended by the girls during the spring of our senior year; that was a time of non-stop socializing for our crowd. Susan and I were there together laughing and smiling, having the time of our lives.
Susan and I drifted apart after graduation from high school. We went our separate ways during the college years, but were reunited in our early twenties. At that time I was living back in Brazosport, married with two babies. She was married, but childless and living nearby. We reconnected and picked up right where we had left off. We both had Latino husbands and seemed once again to have a lot in common. I remember Susan and her husband, Amado’s (which, by the way, means “beloved”), manner of communicating. He always spoke to her in Spanish and she spoke only English to him. I understood their words, of course, but I could never have conversed that way. My brain would just give up and stick to one language or the other. I divorced in 1975, left Brazosport again and moved to Austin. I didn’t see Susan for the next 30 years when we reunited at a high school reunion in 2005.
Altho’ I’d been to several reunions, Susan hadn’t made it back for any of them. I’d ask about her every time, was satisfied that she was doing well and just hoped to see her at the next one. I finally did see her and I am so grateful for that opportunity because it was the last time I ever saw my long time school chum. We visited and caught up. It was like a weekend long high school lunch hour. She was still beautiful and I remember telling her that she looked just like her mom. I don’t think she tho’t that was a compliment, but in fact, it was because I always remember how beautiful her mother was. Susan wore lovely chandelier earrings that weekend and I vocally admired them.
When I read the notice of her passing I broke down and cried. We hadn’t been close for many years, but losing her was still quite painful for me. Susan was such a huge part of my life for so many years when my world was so much smaller than it is now. She filled a large percentage of it. The hole her passing left was big for me even so many years later. When I attended the latest high school reunion recently, it was painful to know in advance that Susan would not be there for me as she had been so many times before. God’s blessings on you, my dear friend, and thank you for all you did for and meant to me. I am sure that somehow, no matter where you are, you now know what all that entails.
Doty Davis (Warms)
Susan was the first person I met when we moved to LJ. We became fast friends at that moment and remained that way. I loved her dearly and miss her very much.
Bill Marshall
Susan Javiera Burris lived down the street from me in Lake Jackson. I met Susan in the third grade and we were in Mr. Ivey's fourth grade class. Susan was pretty, pretty smart and pretty good athlete. In the 6th grade we had a party at Jasmine hall...that was the big thing back then. I remember going to so many of those type parties at Jasmine hall.....it was the IN thing then. I had Susan in some of my Junior High classes, but do not remember any classes in High School. I did see Susan in College at Stephen F. Austin and would see her at some social functions, but did not hang with her in college. She completed her Bachelor degree in something like three years.....she was very attentive in her studies. Did not see her much after college except at our Reunions. Rest in Peace Susan.
Vivian Boggs (Ferreira)
I don’t remember when Susan first came into my life. One junior high school day many years ago she was just there and she was there till we graduated from high school and briefly, beyond. We had classes together all thru junior high. It wouldn’t surprise me if we had every class together during those three years, but it was in high school that we really became close. The only specific classes that we had together at BP High School that I remember were P.E. classes, altho doubtless there were others. What I remember most is that every day we ate lunch side by side, Susan always sitting to my left, for two or maybe all three of our high school years.
That’s a lot of hours spent just hanging out, visiting, eating and getting to know each other. We almost always bro’t a bag lunch from home, disdaining the inexpensive, yet nourishing, lunches prepared at the school cafeteria. We were on a perpetual low calorie (sort of) diet so we could emulate Twiggy or some such luminary. I doubt if we ever reached our goal of Twiggy look alikes. In fact, we were healthy, active and therefore, hungry teenaged girls, whose bodies metabolized perfectly. You couldn’t have convinced us of that, tho’, so we just kept trying with carrot sticks and celery and what have you.
Susan and I both had football jock steady boyfriends who were in our same grade at school and on the same squad. We’d go to the games together, sit together and yell ourselves hoarse, rooting for our guys. Often Susan’s boyfriend’s mom would give me a ride to the out of town games along with Susan. That was a treat for me, not to have to ride the bus, if there even was one. It made me feel so special. That was one of the many gifts Susan so generously shared with me.
Susan was a good student and made good grades. I shared that quality with her, but where we diverged was in P.E. Susan was an athlete and excelled at sports. I remember watching her during class, so graceful with perfect coordination and balance. She was tall and had an athlete’s body, healthy and well proportioned with to-die-for legs. Those legs were straight and strong, all rippling muscles and not an ounce of cellulite. I realize now that I also have a strong athlete’s body and have become a regular gym rat in my old age, but in those days, unlike Susan, I was just too lazy and unmotivated to do much in the way of sports.
Susan was invited to and attended all sorts of social, extracurricular functions outside of school. She was a beautiful and very sweet girl who was liked by many and welcome at most social functions. I remember her at birthday parties, boat, beach and pool parties all thru the years. Then there were countless teas and breakfasts attended by the girls during the spring of our senior year; that was a time of non-stop socializing for our crowd. Susan and I were there together laughing and smiling, having the time of our lives.
Susan and I drifted apart after graduation from high school. We went our separate ways during the college years, but were reunited in our early twenties. At that time I was living back in Brazosport, married with two babies. She was married, but childless and living nearby. We reconnected and picked up right where we had left off. We both had Latino husbands and seemed once again to have a lot in common. I remember Susan and her husband, Amado’s (which, by the way, means “beloved”), manner of communicating. He always spoke to her in Spanish and she spoke only English to him. I understood their words, of course, but I could never have conversed that way. My brain would just give up and stick to one language or the other. I divorced in 1975, left Brazosport again and moved to Austin. I didn’t see Susan for the next 30 years when we reunited at a high school reunion in 2005.
Altho’ I’d been to several reunions, Susan hadn’t made it back for any of them. I’d ask about her every time, was satisfied that she was doing well and just hoped to see her at the next one. I finally did see her and I am so grateful for that opportunity because it was the last time I ever saw my long time school chum. We visited and caught up. It was like a weekend long high school lunch hour. She was still beautiful and I remember telling her that she looked just like her mom. I don’t think she tho’t that was a compliment, but in fact, it was because I always remember how beautiful her mother was. Susan wore lovely chandelier earrings that weekend and I vocally admired them.
When I read the notice of her passing I broke down and cried. We hadn’t been close for many years, but losing her was still quite painful for me. Susan was such a huge part of my life for so many years when my world was so much smaller than it is now. She filled a large percentage of it. The hole her passing left was big for me even so many years later. When I attended the latest high school reunion recently, it was painful to know in advance that Susan would not be there for me as she had been so many times before. God’s blessings on you, my dear friend, and thank you for all you did for and meant to me. I am sure that somehow, no matter where you are, you now know what all that entails.