Welcome to What We Remember, our reader-submitted obituary series. Submit your story for next Sunday’s installment here.
Susan Wisseman, 64
A little treat
As Alzheimer’s disease stripped my mom of her memories, her routines, her motivation, and her sense of belonging, the qualities that made her extraordinary lingered the longest. My mom had an exceptional ability to find and embrace joy and then share it generously with others. She was childlike in the most beautiful way — a “little treat” could turn her entire day around. No matter how many times she saw sunlight filtering through the leaves, she had to stop and revel in its beauty. And the joy she found in creating special moments for her family was dazzling. She poured everything she had into making my life and the lives of my siblings full of wonder. Now that she’s gone, I realize she was the magic that made my childhood sparkle — and the reason those memories still shine so brightly.
Susan Sidney (Pankin) Wisseman was a pastor, gardener and baker. She died July 14 in Richmond. — By her daughter Sarah Champine
Ron Cauthon, 94
A Dodge van and an open road
Two weeks before he died, Ronald Cauthon and I celebrated 68 years together. His life began at the start of the Depression in a small house with five siblings. Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl poverty gave him a drive to do his best, whether in school, at work or in the Army. There was a sweet kindness to him, never verbal or physical cruelty. When his banking career became intolerable because of a buyout, he and I decided to sell our house and live the rest of our lives on our own. We set out in 1992 in a Dodge van with camping equipment, and toured our beautiful land and its state and national parks. My mantra as he was in hospice was, “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Ronald Leroy Cauthon was a mortgage loan officer, artist and gardener. He died Feb. 28 in Tulsa. — By his wife, Violet York Cauthon
Max George, 25
Never happier
When we lost him, my son Max was only 25, studying finance here in London. We had a celebration of life in June, and there were a number of tributes from freshmen who recounted how Max had helped them navigate the sometimes scary world of studying in a big city. They said he reached out with a patience and openness that got them through the early months of student life. This was special, because Max had suffered crippling anxiety as a teenager and young undergraduate. Now as a mature student he found strength in helping others. It seems such a small thing, but I had never seen him happier.
Maxwell Hugo Thomas George was a first-year student at King’s Business School and the brother of Washington Post reporter Olivia George. He died March 31 in London. — By his mother, Lisa Thomas
Claudia Kulish, 67
‘The auntie we never had’
Claudia was a teacher of the deaf for four decades, including a quarter century at Woodson High School in Fairfax, where she taught advanced mathematics up through calculus. Reacting to the news of her passing from MSA, a rare brain disease, her former students painted a common picture. More than just their highly effective math teacher, she was their coach and cheerleader. “You were the auntie we never had, and the love you showed us was unconditional,” one wrote on Facebook. Claudia insisted that her students never tolerate others placing limits on their aspirations. “She constantly encouraged me to chase my dreams,” said another, “and reminded me that I have the power to create my own path. That message has stayed with me, and continues to guide me in my life today.” In more ways than we knew, Claudia left the world a better place than she found it.
Mary Claudia Kulish taught at public schools in Kansas, Texas, Virginia and D.C. She died Feb. 26 in Rutledge, Tennessee. — By her brother, Mark Kulish
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The Post is publishing reader-submitted obituaries as part of a new feature, What We Remember.
The post The banker who found freedom in a Dodge van, and other extraordinary lives we’ve lost appeared first on Washington Post.
