Dear All -

Roger Badeau has been an internet friend, program resource, encourager and "bureau chief" for several years.  I received the following in my email this morning:

---

Steve:
It is with the most broken and shattered of hearts that I write that Sue has been called to Christ at 10:58PM EST on April 28th. I ask for your prayers that I may show Christian strength, acceptance of this most heavy cross, and appropriate witness to His glory in this painful and difficult time.
 
Maranatha!
Roger

---

Following is the eulogy, delivered by Roger on May 3, 2014

Those of you who know me know that I love public speaking. 3 people or 3000 makes little difference. I enjoy sharing knowledge, giving a presentation. But today it’s different, and significantly tougher.

The author M. Scott Peck starts his book entitled The Road Less Travelled with the following eight words: “Life is difficult. This is a great truth.”  No kidding Mr. Peck.

Knowing what I know today at this moment in time about the road that Susan and I travelled together, I would do it all again.  And would do so gladly.

But I have greater truths that I would like to share with you.  When we share truth - in a court of law, for example - we are witnesses.  We provide what is called testimony.  It is typically something we’ve seen or observed.  This would often include the witness placing his/her hand on a Bible to attest to the truth.

I am here today to bear witness; that is, to testify as to what Sue’s life was about:  a life of love and of laughter and of optimism.

The Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic (Jesus’ native language).  And while I can speak a few languages those are not among them.  So I, at least, need translation of Scriptural text.  And I’ve chosen a SPECIFIC (Douay-Rheims) translation of Proverbs 18:22.  He that hath found a good wife hath found a good thing, and shall receive a pleasure from the Lord.

In our everyday language it’s something like this:  a good wife is a great blessing to a man, it is a token or a sign of Divine (or God given) favour.  And that is what I was given:  an incredible, remarkable wife.

She was an exceptionally loving wife, my partner and my mate.  She was a wonderful mother.  She was caring and warm.  She made any house a home.  To her, family was not only first, it was everything.

She was genuine and as such valued, displayed, and was committed to integrity.  She was an educator in every sense and both in and out of the home.  Focused on and an advocate of literacy and learning.  Oh, and a great cook, and a very good friend.

But she was also more than that, exhibiting selflessness, great courage and strength in the face of adversity, all the while showing genuine conviviality.  the quality of being friendly and lively.  With all of us here today.

She was also earnestly and visibly a woman of strong Christian faith.  In short, she was a blessing of the highest order.

I would often say to her and to others that she was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.  That IS the truth.  And I testify that I have been blessed beyond measure by and through Susan Pagliarulo Badeau.

Her body has died but she is still alive.  She has transitioned, received a promotion and been given a relocation to our Christian home office, and, as we are all co-travelers at this moment in time, this road we currently travel, this road LESS travelled, is NOT our destination but rather the road TO our final destination.

We have all been blessed by having Sue touch our lives in some way.  Directly or indirectly, these blessings are from God who is the author of all good things.  Jesus Christ testified to that while he walked the earth.  He spoke the truth.

I have a son and a daughter Mikael and Marissa.  M&M as we often say.  Two living blessings.  And so her spirit not only lives on, but is close by; is visibly present.  And I take great comfort in that.

But there is MORE than that, because I see that by YOUR being here YOU also have witnessed God’s blessing through Sue!

As this is a Roman Catholic Mass, a Mass of Resurrection, and the priest is also referred to as the celebrant.  then logically this is by definition a celebration.

This is therefore a “Celebration” of Resurrection.  We believe that we shall all live again, and that Jesus Christ is indeed physically risen and alive today, so I am encouraged and strengthened that my wife, your mother, your sister, your daughter, and our friend, Susan, will live again in and with a glorified body.

So here I testify to yet another greater truth.  The resurrection is not only an event but a Person.  Jesus testified to that when He raised Lazarus from the dead saying that HE, Jesus, was the resurrection.  Our hope, then, is not only in a future event but a present Reality.  Our hope is in a specific person – this Person, Jesus Christ, held Sue's hand at 10:58 this past Monday evening as she passed from this world into eternity and He will hopefully take each of our hands when we transition to stand before our Judge to render an account of our lives.

In the French language, which was originally my native language, and, fortunately for me Susan found my speaking French very attractive, we say “adieu,” and while it means farewell, it more accurately or directly translates as “To God. ”

So in closing, and as I look at those of us here now, I can only testify AGAIN to God’s incredible goodness.  WE have been blessed beyond measure by Him through HIS gift to us; the gift of Sue’s all-too-brief life.

I praise God for past blessings that we have enjoyed in sharing Sue’s life, for this current blessing that is clearly seen by us today here and now, and for those blessings that will yet be enjoyed.  Susan, my love, you also have served as a key witness, you have borne testimony to God’s love.  And I can’t wait to see you again in our next life.

The Anakypto Forum       Listener Letters