June 3, 2016
Dear Friends: Sister Sue, on the advice of her doctors and with support from her healthcare providers at Marywood, her Dominican Sisters, and her family, made the decision to enter hospice care at Marywood Health Center this week. Sister Sue is at peace with this decision. She now turns to reflecting on the rich life she has led and on simple comforts as the end of her time on this Earth approaches.
“God has invited me on a life journey that has included cancer,” Sister Sue has said often. Creating and sharing her motivational missives on her ToodoolooSue blog, in her books, and in other thoughtful tools of her ministry has brought Sister Sue great joy and comfort as she has coped and hoped through six bouts of cancer since 1986. With God’s grace she has walked this path with faith, courage, grace, and empathy for nearly 30 years. Her ministry of offering encouragement, blessings, and prayers to others who have walked, shouted, jumped, crawled, sang and danced, and loved on the cancer journey has been a blessing for her, and to all who know her.
Your prayers, shared memories, and words of encouragement have brought Sister Sue respite and joy during these past few months of her treatment journey. She has appreciated your presence through your notes and messages. Please know that her Dominican Sisters and other companions will continue reading to Sister Sue as her energy allows.
To all, Sister Sue asked us to share one of her favorite Blog posts. It begins… “Dear Gracious God… We know that cancer can do some things like startle us and re-shift our focus and our day by day routines and tempt us to worry about the future and wonder about the unknowns… but we also affirm there are many important things that cancer simply cannot do…
It cannot cripple Love….oh, it may temporarily blind us with fear but we know it cannot decrease Love…our love for you, our families, our caregivers…who all invest generous time and care for us on this journey. In the end we know love will triumph but we also experience its victories day by day… (read more) https://toodooloosue.com/spiritual-reflections/what-cancer-cannot-do/
In February of this year, Sister Sue learned that the lymphoma in her brain had returned, and she is currently in treatment for it with some of the latest forms of chemotherapy. She is not up for visits or calls at this time, or for responding to email messages, but if you wish to reach out to her, you can send a card to Sue at Marywood (Sr. Sue Tracy OP, Dominican Sisters-Grand Rapids, 2025 Fulton Street East, Grand Rapids MI 49503-3811) or respond with a comment on her Caring Page which will be forwarded to her. And of course your prayers are always appreciated. We will continue to post future updates on her medical condition on this webpage.
Sister Sue Tracy 
Sister Sue – We love you and will miss you, especially at our Red Hat gatherings. May God wrap you in His loving arms and give you His peace and comfort. Let us know if you’re up for a visit. From your favorite Red Hat Sister’s – Char & Dar
My thoughts and prayers are with Sister Sue and her family in this difficult time.
John Czachorski (616) 916-3028
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Much love and many, many prayers for our friend , Sister Sue- the ultimate cancer THRIVER. We love her.
Sr. Sue, you are still our hero and role model. Hugs, Love, and Prayers. Jim & Chris
Sent from my iPad
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Sr. Sue, my love and prayers are with you! Thank you again for your support, caring presence and the great wisdom you shared with me and my mother while while she was so ill several years ago. Hugs are being sent your way!
Love, Irene
and the staff of the Catholic Information Center
Sister Sue….give Kyle a hug from me. I love you sister ❤️
Dear Sister, Thanx for being there while my Dad was going through this part of his journey! I pray for your comfort and God’s loving Grace during this part of your journey. You have touched so many lives. Know that you will be missed, but I rejoice that you will be back Home with God, and that you have helped so many others get there too! Hugs!
Dear
Doublesmiletoodooloosue,
My prayers are with you and I’m sending hugs and heart across the miles to you, dear friend. I wish that I could hug you in person and may be able to do that, praying for discernment. May our gracious God give you comfort, guide you on your way and help your rich review of life and focus on the small comforts fill you with Spirit, serenity, soul and the peace on the Word we preach can promise and bring.
Much love,
Previous Paul
Sister Sue,
I remember working with you in bringing what was best for our patients at Spectrum. Seeing your glowing energy and love each day is something I will treasure and hold close to my heart. Sending you love and prayers during your final journey. Thank you for all that you have done. Till will meet again.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Love,
Erin
Sister Sue, Thank you for being the light in my cancer journey and the smile and sense of humor that has kept me, and so many others. going. I became one of your “groupies” and felt so very blessed to have had lunch with you and Father Paul. You radiate love and the Lord sure knew what he was doing when he put you here on Earth. May He hold you in his arms and comfort you at this time. I will see you again. You’ll be easy to find. I’ll look in Heaven for the soul with the red nose.
I wish you peace. I am praying for you. Your spirit will always be with me. I love you, dear Sister.
Sister Sue, I first met you when you taught our 8 the grade class at Marywood!! Oh the energy and joy you brought to learning !! The Mkado was quite the production! Our paths continued to cross over the years. When Dad was suffering with lymphoma you brought light, peace, silliness, and joy to our family. You are such a special woman!! I feel so blessed to have had you in my life. You are a constant inspiration and have given so much to so many. I know God is eager to call you home. Heaven will never be the same!! I wish you a peaceful, pain free transition to your next adventure. Love you!
Judy
Just read you beautiful note Judy…..such great times we had in school..I had forgotten the Mkado…your right qutie the production!
Sister Sue was good to us…Our trip to Europe I will never forget..She is a blessing in our lives!
Sending prayers
Rose
There is no one like you, so full of positivity,encouragement,and love of your God. Your kind heart always there for everyone,even though you may not have felt like doing it because of your own struggles. Your “friends” that have left this earth before you,including our Brian will great you with open arms. You were Gods instrument and you performed well. Hugs and love
Bob & Marty Wildman
Twenty years ago, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Sister Sue when she authored a monthly column called “Soul Support” for a local monthly magazine. Although we have lost contact, her words on the page still touch me, but not as deeply as the memories of meeting and having conversations with Sister Sue about her journey and faith in God. I never took the time or made the opportunity to thank her for her kindness. Over the past couple years, her name has popped up in many of my friend’s Facebook feeds, and I always marvel at the amount of lives she’s touched. I’m sending love and prayers to that sweet, positive, kind woman who enhanced my life, too.
-Rachelle Hankinson Stout
My dear Sister Sue, who loved theater and all of the arts. You reveled in watching my daughters in productions at Circle Theater throughout the summers. You asked me once if they realized what a gift God had given them to be able to sing and perform and bring such happiness to the audiences. I replied “yes they do” and asked her the same question. She has brought happiness to us all in so many ways. Selfishly, we want to keep her with us forever, a performance that never ends. We pray God holds her tightly on this final journey as she approaches the best performance of her life. Much love and admiration dear Sue and a daily abundance of prayers sent up in your name. Bravo dear friend. ♡
Dear Sister Sue,I met you when I took my best friend Sandie to her chemo appointments at Lemmon Holten,you shone with love,humor and empathy and brought light to an otherwise dark moment. Sandie has gone on to a better place,and I miss her. My prayers are with you,thank you for being you.
Thank you for being such an amazing person! The world is a better place for having you. And we are better people for knowing you. Please know that we are thinking of you and wish you peace on your next journey.
Dear Sister Sue: thank you for your beautiful, caring, loving heart in this life. You have given so much to others in your presence, your constant encouragement and especially all the humor you gave all your admiring friends at the downtown YMCA. You will always be on my mind when Jim Brink celebrates your mutual birthdays. He is at Mary Free Bed right now, but know he sends you his love too. God bless & keep you close as you journey to be with Him. Sending you an abundance of love & prayers.
Dear Sister Sue—or Sister Marie Susanne, as I still remember you from those years at Marywood when you called me “Anne Rupp, the “dis-“rupp”-ter” because of my many questions during Religion class! Of all the joy-filled memories I have, the best one that comes to mind so often still is when you explained your constant ENTHUSIASM as being because enthusiasm literally means being “in God”! You have certainly been that through all your days here and I know you are longing for the time when that will become completely true. Blessings to you for all the days you remain with us; you have truly been a blessing to countless others.
Dear Sister Sue,
You have been such an inspiration to so many people. You were there to help my mother when she was diagnosed with lung cancer and she loved you so! My mom is now in peace with our maker smiling down upon us. YOU DO ROCK Sister Sue! My prayers are with you always. God bless you for all of the love, hope, laughter and tears that you generously have given so freely to all in need. Our God must be so proud of you as you have served him well.
We love you more than words can say. Thank you for sharing your life with us all.
Love,
Tina and Brian Collings and Gary Leach
You have been a mentor and role model about “how to do cancer”, and I would add with humor and elegance. You have touched many more people than you will ever know in your journey. You have helped me and countless others. That counts for making a difference…but probably not what you thought your purpose was to be here. Rest peacefully in the knowledge that your life made a difference.
Sister Sue. You have always put a smile on all of us whenever you would enter our Starbucks store and order your grande Bold with 2 ice cubes and spinach feta wrap. Cafe Verona was always your favorite blend. You were always kind, and inspirational to all of us. There will never be anyone like you. Our prayers are with you at YOUR Amway Starbucks store. God bless–Jody Mattice
Sr. Sue, my love and prayers are with you! Thank you again for your support, caring presence and the great wisdom you shared with me and my mother while while she was so ill several years ago. Hugs are being sent your way!
Love, Irene
and the staff of the Catholic Information Center
My Dear Sister Sue,
What a beautiful, amazing, and gracious lady! On your way
to heaven! It is a great honor and
privilege to know you. Thankyou,
thankyou, thankyou for you. Please give Jeff a hug when you
see each other in Eternal Life.
With Love and Prayers,
Darlene Truszkowski
Sounds like you have been a true angel on earth.Sorry that I never got to know you. Our paths did cross, but I didn’t appreciate the person that you were. I am glad that you have touched so many in your wonderful life time….wish I could’ve been more true to myself and loved the life that I was given. God is waiting for you now. Maybe I will see you later…….