Goodbye, Sue

On May 27, the Kennedy School lost someone who was, as Dean David T. Ellwood noted, “legendary,” not only for her genuine care for others, but also for her unmistakable, hearty laugh that could be heard throughout the school. Sue Williamson S&L 1994, director of the MPA program, died after battling cancer since the beginning of the year. A member of the staff for nearly 20 years, Williamson was known for her “motherly concern,” as The Boston Globe obituary noted, and for knowing all of her students by name within a week of their arrival to the school. As her husband, Joseph Goodnough, told The Globe, “The school was the body, the faculty the brains, and Sue was the heart.” A memorial service will be held at the school in September. In addition, comments about Williamson can be shared at http://ksgaccman.harvard.edu/sue/. In December, the next issue of the Bulletin will include a a longer feature story about Williamson and her life.