Suzanne Harder Hill, 80, Died; Former Westporter, “she made friends wherever she went “
Obituary Suzanne Harder Hill, age 80, of Houston, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, the 1st of September 2021. She was born on the 18th of February 1941, in Vinita, Oklahoma, to James Lee Harder and Ruth Marguerite Harder and grew up in Healdton and Ardmore, Oklahoma.
After graduating from Ardmore High School, Suzanne attended Oklahoma State University and remained a lifelong avid fan of the OSU Cowboys. She married her husband Tom after graduating from OSU, and Tom's job took them to Houston, Westport, Connecticut, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sydney, Australia and eventually back to Houston. Suzanne loved to travel and passed that passion for traveling and visiting other places and cultures down to her children and grandchildren. One of her favorite places to visit was New York City to see Broadway shows with her daughters and granddaughters.
A fabulous wife, mother and grandmother, Suzanne was the bedrock of her family and always demonstrated incredible kindness and thoughtfulness to everyone she encountered. She loved her family dearly and was each family member's biggest cheerleader.
Always a people person, she made friends wherever she went and maintained relationships with countless people far and near. She was greatly loved by all who knew her.
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Suzanne happily participated in the lives of her daughters and her grandchildren as they grew up. Always eager to be involved in their school and extracurricular activities, she enjoyed meeting other parents and supporting her daughters and their activities including serving as a Girl Scout Leader when they lived in Rio de Janeiro and as a drill team mom when her girls were Westchester Wranglerettes and Stratford Spartanaires. As a grandmother, she loved attending Grandparents' Day at the grandkids' various schools and watching their sporting events and band concerts. Over the many years of membership at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Suzanne rarely missed a Sunday sitting in her favorite pew while Tom ushered.
Actively involved in her community, she was a cherished, longtime docent at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. A very active member of the Houston Alumnae of Kappa Alpha Theta until her death, Suzanne also served as President of the organization from 2003-2004. In addition, she was a valued volunteer filling various roles at the Theta Charity Antiques Show for many years. Suzanne was a docent with the Heritage Society in earlier years and enjoyed membership and activities in the John McKnitt Alexander Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) Sisterhood.
Suzanne is survived by her loving husband, Thomas A. Hill; her daughters, Cindy Hill Burnett and her husband Michael L. Burnett, and Melissa Hill Ochs and her husband Daniel E. Ochs; and grandchildren, Caroline, Emily, and John Burnett and Margaret, Katherine, and Thomas Ochs. Suzanne is preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Marguerite, and her brother, James Lee Harder II.
A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Saturday, the 18th of September, in the Sanctuary of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road in Houston, where the Rev. Katie Montgomery Mears, Associate Director of Adult Ministries, is to officiate.
Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the adjacent Fellowship Hall.
KINDLY NOTE: For those unable to attend the memorial service, a livestream will be accessible by visiting Mrs. Hill's online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com and selecting the "Join Livestream" icon on the Memorial Service section. There, memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with her family.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in her name be directed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 200 Vesey St., 28th Floor, New York, NY, 10281; or the charity of one's choice.
Sunset Shines through as Light Smoke Plumes Return
Tonight‘s sunset over Compo Beach continued to shine despite a light smoke plume currently moving over the region. As wildland fires in the west continue to burn, the plumes were less thick than in previous instances throughout this past summer - but the damage can still be noticed. Local air quality was noted as healthy tonight as regions of New Jersey and Pennsylvania continue to experience the worst of the smoke as it moves over the East Coast. Photo by Mary Sikorski for WestportLocal.com
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 14; State Positivity Rate 2.34%, Hospitalizations Down 37
The Westport Weston Health District reported 14 new COVID-19 cases for Westport over the weekend. The State’s daily test positivity rate was down to 2.34%, and hospitalizations were down 37.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 1,984 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 31 deaths.
State Daily Test Positivity: 2.34% [down from 2.92%]
State Hospitalizations: 327 patients [-37]
Greenwich Polo East Coast Open Semi-Final Finishes in Dramatic Overtime Victory
Corrected text: Greenwich Polo Club hosted the East Coast Open Semi-Final on Sunday with Ellipse Polo defeating match sponsor the Audi Polo Team in a thrilling overtime finish. The lead changed several times during the match, with the Elipse team scoring in the last minute of the final chukker to tie the game, resulting in a sudden death overtime chukker. In less than one minute, Elipse found the goal posts to take the match victory by the score of 14-13.
Hilario Ulloa, one of the top ranked players in professional polo was match MVP. His horse, Lavinia Castelana was selected best polo pony.
The Greenwich Polo Club is recognized as one of the elite high-goal polo venues in the Northeast. Internationally recognized for its rosters of legendary teams and players.
Click to enlarge Gallery photos. All photos by J.C. Martin for WestportLocal.com
The next match is on September 19, 2021: https://www.greenwichpoloclub.com
