Suzanne "Suzy" OGILVY

Suzanne Ogilvy Ochs

Suzy Ogilvy's (2011) Autobiography

Hello fellow 68 year olds. I am really upset about not being able to attend the BIG 50th. I will be on a safari in Tanzania on that very weekend with my husband and two of our oldest grandchildren -a trip planned a year ago. I will miss seeing each one of you. I was in charge of the yearbook write-ups way back then so I knew about everyone in the class!

I am one of nine children and my parents lived in the house I was brought up in Westport until the day they died. Dad was hit head on by a huge truck on the way home from a tennis match in Vermont, at age 88!! I took the train up to Westport once a month for about three years to help care for my Mom in her nineties. Once settled at 55 Valley Road, I would troop off to the Westport library and get books to read (I had my own card!) and if weather permitted, drove down to Compo for a swim. In this way, I became reacquainted with the wonderful town of Westport. I had no idea so many of you still live in and around Westport.

After graduation, I went to Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (had worked at Norwalk Hospital as a teen as a Nursing Assistant with Patsy Staby, who is a life long friend.) I married a young intern after school and then proceeded on to Johns Hopkins University for a degree as in those days, nursing school was not college. Had three kids and finished a Masters between diaper changes and worked in every conceivable aspect of nursing, the longest stint being teaching. We settled in Maryland in a neat old home on the water and then spent 5 years in Utah. I missed the east coast, used to call the New York operator just to hear her accent. Eventually I retuned east, a single woman, now teaching full time at a local community college. Same old house. Met and married a poet-musician, by day, an antipoverty worker (Max Ochs) and we have been together now for nearly 25 years. Lots of time spent with family, grandchildren, extended family and music. (and keeping that old house from washing out to sea!)

Other than the Vietnam War, we have lived in a very special time, a time of plenty. (I worry that we have not left the world in very good shape for our children.) I think our high school days gave us a wonderful foundation to take a hold of life and run with it. I recall Ms. Higgens and Silas Marner and her weekly vocabulary list, of Mr. Meyers who developed our writing skills, Mr Ohanian who was such a grand (and a little scary)orchestra leader, Mr Weigle who gave many of us a life long love of singing. And the music back then –rock and roll- was simply the best there is!

At age 50, I went back to school to become a Physician Assistant. I have now worked for over 15 years in an ER and also helped establish a PA Program in the college where I taught for so long. Currently I work part time in the ER , giving me ample time to smell the roses. Have a great harmonic convergence in June, fabulous CLASS OF ’61!

Suzy’s Update (2021)

My husband of 34 years, Max Ochs, is a poet and musician.(google him) He strums the guitar as I make dinner. We are old people now, Max 80, and I, 77. We live right on the water, the Severn River in Maryland. Water has always been a big part of my life, since Westport. I swim in our river from March to November. Moi and the local dogs.

We have studied español for about 20 years and can converse with the landscapers in our neighborhood although we do not use them ourselves . I compost all the leaves from our 27 or so trees and return them to my gardens, which keep expanding. I have tried to grow tomatoes on the water side for 50 years (yes, same house for 50 years in Maryland) but they sizzle in the hot summer sun so this year, I am moving the vegetable garden to another area, which we are developing now.

We do Yoga twice a week (Zoom) and between us we have 3 book clubs.

We have 9, yes nine, grandchildren. All bringing joy to our lives.

I just found a suitcase of my mother's acrylics (box marked 2009 when she died) and am now having fun using them.We both write and this year we have become bonafid chefs! As of this note, we have not been to a restaurant or bar in 12 months! Actually, we are not missing this.

I do not mean this diatribe to sound idyllic or braggart. Phew. Phew for this whole year! There have been many low points and sadnesses along the way. I guess that is what makes us all human.

Maybe it is somewhat ridiculous to try to sum up one's life in a few paragraphs? Poor old Charlotte the spider said:

“After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.”

But I also like to remember what Anna Frank wrote:

"In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."

Ahh, yes, and so do I.

Amen.