Susan WRIGHT

Susan Wright Carlisle

Susan's 2011 Autobiography

As some of you may recall, I moved from Detroit to Westport in 1960. I enjoyed my year at Staples, but returned to the Midwest and graduated from DePauw University, Greencastle, IN, with BA in mathematics in 1965. I joined IBM’s Federal Systems Division immediately after college as a computer programmer working in Washington, DC for a year. From there I moved to Houston, TX, where I was fortunate enough to design and write orbit application software for the Mission Control Center for the Apollo program. While in Houston I married and divorced Richard Carlisle. My career took me back to the Washington area, and eventually to Colorado in 1986. I retired from IBM in 1995, became a travel agent for a few years, and then joined Lockheed Martin where I managed Systems Engineering efforts for ground control of unmanned satellites.

In 1988 I was introduced by mutual friends to my life partner, Tom Weathers, while skiing at Breckenridge, CO. On our first date in June of that year, he invited me to take a bike trip in France. We have been biking, hiking, trekking, rafting, photographing, bungy jumping, and generally traveling the world together ever since. Along the way we have enjoyed the wining and dining befitting a couple with hedonistic tendencies. Our enjoyment of life has remained constant since our retirement from Lockheed in 2005.

Thank you to the classmates who have organized the reunion and associated communication instruments. I will read every single biography that is posted, and appreciate the efforts of those who have contributed. I have not been to Westport since my parents moved away in the mid 70’s. Although a visit by my “adoptive” grandchildren precludes my attendance at the reunion, I am visiting West Point for my nephew’s promotion to full colonel on 23 May. If you see someone who resembles the photos lunching at Gold’s Delicatessen on or around 25 May, please say “Hi!”