Sue and I first met at Rockwell in the early 1970s. We were both married then, so we kept things strictly professional—and apparently took a very long coffee break before reconnecting.
We reunited in 1985, when we were both working on Rockwell’s Space Station proposal. Somewhere between the meetings and mission plans, I realized that if I divorced, I might actually be happy again. I did—and Sue and I married in March 1988. Some projects take a while to get off the ground.
We retired in March 2007, after a combined 75 years with the Boeing Company. Retirement means you stop working completely. We adjusted immediately: the very next day seemed like a perfectly reasonable time to start.
These days, we’re so busy that I sometimes think about going back to work to rest. (Not really!)
One of our retirement projects is this website, where we share humor and observations about retirement—also known as “being old.” Please enjoy!
In February 2020, the Lord took my precious Sue. I was devastated to lose my sidekick of 35 years. I’m grateful for all the years we shared, and I still miss her every day.
Sue told me, in no uncertain terms, that if something happened to either of us, the other should feel free to move on—with our families’ support. Sue was thoughtful that way: even after she was gone, she was still making sure I had permission.
In July 2020, I asked our mutual friend Dr. Mary Côté out to dinner. Mary, Sue, and I had known each other for almost 25 years, so our first date began with the familiar, “Hey, how’s it going?” and somehow escalated into a full-scale romance.
The next year, on the anniversary of that first dinner, we got married at the same restaurant, with a small group of friends and family. I guess the food was good—but the company was even better.
We are so happy the Good Lord sent us toward each other. We decided to leave the past behind and move into a new home in Orange, and after a few years, Mary transformed the house into our own love nest!
Was looking on web for info on Sue Soderstrom pilot owned Northern airmotive and your diary website. Dont know if same Sue. She was friend and my boss. Flew Be18 out of Kenosha.
Sorry… No Sue Soderstrom here
Was looking at history of retailers and came across your site. I worked at Ralph’s 5 & 10 for a few years in the 70’s, the Van Nuys location. You’ve got a great site – reminds me of how things were. We had old Ben and Malcolm as the managers – wow, what memories. All the best. Nick