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Gratitude, a PurpleBench, and Thou...

5/12/2022

12 Comments

 
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    As most all of you know… I’ve been hiding out for more than a year now, since the passing of my beloved Susan.
I am finally starting to process the many stages of grief and depression, and with the help of the ‘Flow of Time’ (Rhea and Kronos) I am beginning to emerge from my isolation and to re-engage with the world as it is. Your love and understanding has been very helpful, and I appreciate all of you very much.
It was very sad to have to forego a memorial service for our beloved Susan, due to the dreaded covid, but having a virtual memorial on-line has been very healing. I hope to post more photos there in the near future.
You can find her ‘MyKeeper Memorial’ here at this link if you would like to read and share what others have posted:

https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/SusanFoster/

    One of the most helpful things I have discovered to be very helpful for me to heal through my terrible loss, has been to try and embrace the sadness and grief, and to transform it all into Gratitude. Gratitude for having been loved by our wonderful Susan, and for having had such a loving and compassionate soul to share this miraculous gift of life with, and Gratitude for all the beautiful people and relationships that she has brought into my life! (Most all of you folks!)
    So with that in mind… I have arranged for a beautiful Memorial Bench to be installed at our local park, here in our neighborhood, that Susan helped to found back in the early 80’s. McDonald Park is located on Mountain and Mar Vista, between Hill and Lake Avenue. Susan was deservedly proud of her role in establishing Pasadena's McDonald Park in 1982, a lovely five-acre space in the heart of our city's famous Bungalow Heaven. Featuring a children's play area, a softball diamond, handball courts, picnic facilities, and more.
Since its founding, McDonald Park has brought pleasure to countless Angelenos -- making it a fitting legacy.
​And now there is a beautiful new Purple Memorial Bench dedicated to her there, in the north-east corner, behind the baseball backstop, with her name on it! You can’t miss it!
It’s her favorite color: Plum-Crazy Purple!
A fitting legacy indeed.
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​More Gratitude!

     As with most projects, Susan’s Memorial Bench Monument involved several phases, and there are many people to thank for their generosity and expertise. First of all of course are all the folks over at The City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services. The Installation Crew: Park Supervisor Carl Jones and assistant Danny who not only laid the concrete pad(s) in the park but also picked up Susan’s Memorial from my home and studio, transported it to the park, and expertly installed the Memorial. Thanks Guys, you did a great job!
     I would especially like to give a huge Shout-Out to the  Parks Program Coordinator,
Jason Vega. This project would not have happened without Mr. Vega’s help and guidance! He assisted me every step of the way, shepherding me through the entire process. From supplying me with the Public Monument Policy and all the documents necessary to put together the proposal application to be submitted to the Recreation and Parks Commission for the creation and installation of this Memorial Bench Monument (of less than city-wide significance), including the preliminary internal review, to actually submitting the proposal on my behalf to the Commission and receiving a unanimous approval from the board! Very impressive!
                                  Thank You Jason!

     Last, but certainly not least, I am very grateful to my good friend and neighbor Peter Koroghlian over at Innovative Designs and Manufacturing Inc., in Azusa.

                           www.idmifurnishings.com
     Peter was a great admirer, and a dear friend, of our Beloved Susan! When Peter heard of my plans for Susan’s Memorial Monument, he graciously and generously offered to donate the bench! Peter had the bench prepped and painted, installed the plaque, and delivered the bench to my studio!
           
Peter, What a Guy! … You-Really-Are-The-Man! 
                   Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
12 Comments
DANIELLE VILLICANA link
5/12/2022 07:52:26 pm

Beautiful Roberto! What a wonderful Memorial Bench. Gratitude is something we all need to embrace. We all have so much to be thankful for in this amazing world. Much love to you, Danielle & Maurizio

Reply
Kimberly Maxwell
5/12/2022 09:41:52 pm

I laughed so hard at all the 'departments' (who knew it was so crowded up there!?!). This is a lovely idea, Roberto, and I can't wait to read all your thoughts and ideas! Much love, Kim

Reply
Roberto A. Quintana
5/12/2022 11:18:19 pm

Yea, HouseKeeping is threatening to go on strike if people don't start cleaning up after themselves!

Reply
Laura West
5/13/2022 04:45:13 pm

Roberto, that bench is absolutely beautiful, especially next to the green of the grass. What a gorgeous color and a fitting tribute for a vibrant woman who enriched everything and everyone she met. I'll make sure to stop by for a sit-and-sketch on Susan's bench. Love to you! Laura

Reply
Brent Steiner
5/14/2022 07:21:28 pm

Good Idea and congrats on clearing it all thru the red tape. Those departments are there for a reason. I will be checking in. Thanks for keeping me in the loop.
👊😎💥🎶

Reply
Roberto A. Quintana
5/14/2022 08:29:22 pm

Hi Brent-
Thanks for checking in. It really wasn't that bad. We had a few hiccups, but Jason was very responsive and helpful guiding me though the process. As you know, Susan was a marvelous editor and proposal writer. She always made me look so good and made it look so easy. I felt like a novice, but I did my best. She set the bar very high! -Roberto

Reply
Donna Shirley link
5/14/2022 11:51:52 pm

What a great idea, Roberto! The bench is beautiful. I hope it is often shady!
Donna Shirley
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Reply
Scott Maxwell
5/15/2022 05:37:43 pm

I had the pleasure of sitting on the new bench the other day, and it's wonderful: the perfect spot, in the perfect park. It's even the perfect color -- I *love* the purple.

Thank you for arranging this fantastic tribute to Susan, Roberto. She gave aid and comfort to hundreds of us when she was with us, and the bench means she can now keep doing so in some way for many years to come.

Reply
Bill Bunn
5/19/2022 06:47:05 am

Lovely. Great to watch the journey of the bench, and of you! You look good sitting on it, too. Peace and power to you!

Reply
Nisa kreuzer
7/1/2022 08:35:14 pm

So loving your website and beautiful picture of the purple girls bench. Just a bit curious about the updated version of you know what. 😉 Just want you to know we are all so very pleased seeing you come back out to the world (as it is 😳) again. Much love to you. Nisa

Reply
Roberto A. Quintana
7/3/2022 02:35:45 pm

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement.
As some of you may have noticed... Susan's beautiful Purple-Bench Memorial had disappeared from the park several weeks ago! But not to worry! The Park Department, in it's infinite wisdom, has re-painted the bench in order to better conform to a more unified bench-aesthetic standard. Susan's Memorial Bench has been re-installed in its place of honer, for all to enjoy.
My Post for tomorrow will explore some of the more subtle qualities of color choices for Memorial Benches. Peace and Love -Roberto

Reply
Lois
7/6/2022 09:08:38 am

Just checking in to see if the bolg response works on my computer.
Much Love

Reply



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