Guest Book For Sue Bragato's Family and Friends Please email stories, pictures, or anything you want to share re. Sue to webmaster@thedarkersideofpink.org The California Charter Schools Association has established the Susan Steelman Bragato College Scholarship Fund in Sue's honor. Donations may be made by contacting dannyc@charterassociation.org. Donations in lieu of flowers may also be made to BOK Ranch, a therapeutic horseback riding program for children and adults with disabilities, 1815 Cordilleras, Redwood City, CA 94062 Sue, It has been one year today since you have gone. Life is surely different without you, however, you remain in our thoughts and prayers and memories everyday. Jenna and Chris have gone through many changes and I know that they miss you terribly. It was a rough year for them. They have many thoughts of you and they wish so desperately that you were still here. We all do. We hope that you are resting now and enjoying the views of the ocean and the sky and watching over your children and family and guiding them with your spirit through all the growth and changes. We love you and miss you...... Auntie N Susan, Sue, Suzieque, uno, dos, tres. Thank you. I now know I can live without fences, love without measure and grieve without guilt. My life will be different and so will yours. Until we meet again. I love you. Poopy and Toph, I will always love you. Martha I am a foreigner, but I heard of what you did. All this was marvellous. Now, I know you will be in heaven where you are, encounter my wife who died for the same reason, breast cancer. Dear Chris and Jenna, Please accept my sincerest sympathy. I know that both of you know what an amazing mother Sue was, but I just wanted to let you know that I have the deepest admiration for her. I met Sue through the breast cancer mets support list, and she was truly an inspiration for me. Now, after reading all about everything that she accomplished in her short lifetime, I'm even more amazed. You will both be in my thoughts and prayers. I know that Sue is continuing to watch over both of you - as well as caring for the children and breast cancer patients in Heaven with her. This website is truly a memorial to her permanent memory. We will never forget her. Prayers, Sue – I am going to miss you so much. It didn’t really hit me until the service yesterday how much I will miss you and how many others will miss your presence on this earth. Joe Lucente put it very eloquently when he said that some people are put on this earth to make a difference and move others. That is you. You did good and you were so loved. Thank you for touching my life. I am a better person for having known you. Love, Julie P.S. I know you will find and be fighting for a good cause in heaven. I will hitch my wagon to whatever you are doing - please save a job for me! Until then … I will always remember Sue for her enthusiasm, optimism, willingness to serve others, and her continued focus on doing the right thing. Sue left a lasting legacy by the impact she made on the charter school movement. Her leadership, vision, commitment and courage will be greatly missed. As I offer my condolences to the family, I think the following verse (Joshua 1:9) does a good job of expressing my sentiments: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Dennis “Coach” Snyder I was deeply saddened to hear of Sue’s passing. I met her online where we shared our experiences with this awful disease. I admired her passion and “get it done” attitude when the members of our online metastatic breast cancer support group became frustrated with the fluffiness of breast cancer coverage during October 2004’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. She made “thedarkersideofpink” web site come to life in short order and gave us a foundation to work with into the future to create more awareness for the need for more funding and research into treatments to prevent the spread of metastatic breast cancer and loss of so many wonderful women, like Sue each year. I am relieved to hear that she passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends in her home. My heart goes out to Sue’s family and friends. I hope that they find peace in knowing that she is no longer in pain and her legacies live on in so many ways. Still, we will miss her voice and words of encouragement and support within our group. Gail Speers Dearest Sue, I grew up with Susan and was hit particularly strong by her death.
She was the girl my age down the block.
We were in girl scouts together, where we met at 6 yrs old. I am so sorry to hear this news, and I think it is amazing that she was able to start the work on the website at this stage of her life. I wonder if she realizes that she will be leaving a part of her for the rest of us by designing that website, and I appreciate the work you have done - it will be a memorial for her, and for the motivations of her life to help others. She and her family are in my thoughts and prayers, and I appreciate your keeping us updated on her condition. Blessings, In addition to her substantial contributions in California, Sue was one of a handful of pioneering and ongoing leaders of the charter school movement nationally. She was always so generous in giving her time and expertise to new charter organizations in other states – patiently explaining by phone or in person the nuances of by-laws, dues rates, regional networks and putting on a successful annual conference. She was also generous in making the CANEC conference an annual meeting place for state charter leaders from around the country. Among many other things nationally, Sue was the co-founder and, for the first three years, co-chair of National Charter Schools Week. She was also among a handful of determined state and national charter leaders who labored over three years to transition the former Charter Friends National Network into what is now the Charter School Leadership Council. One of the true founding parents of the national charter school movement, Sue will be missed all across the country as an inspirational leader and true friend. JON SCHROEDER Sue was a leader. She inspired our movement in its earliest days and shaped its growth with tenacity and grace. She also provided an example of personal courage that will light the way for years to come. We're all in her debt -- and our prayers are with her family and her many, many devoted friends. Nelson Smith This is a beautiful tribute to Sue; thanks for sharing it. The charter world grieves with you. Sue was a valiant, dogged fighter in all her struggles, personal and professional. I passed this news along to the NACSA board and staff, and we send along our collective condolences. Dennis Doyle quickly stepped up in offering to represent NACSA, as well as his home district of Chula Vista Elementary, at Sue's memorial on the 10th. In sincerest sympathy,Mark Mark Cannon Jenna--thank you for the webpage. I was so touched by your updates and how you helped your mother die with dignity and peace. I work in charter Anita Landecker I remember her enthusiasm for the website to be strong. Me and Sue became friends via online support group. We began to email privately and I felt like we were both angry about this whole "Pink" thing. Even though I have tears streaming down my cheeks of sorrow for loosing her so soon, I know she's still with us. She began something I hope we will never forget. I'm also angry that this had to happen to her. A two year struggle. What about all those better treatments out there, where were they? This "IS" the Darkest Side of Pink...Susan Andrews This is so devastating to hear. What an upbeat person she was and to tackle the website like she did....I wondered as I visited the website from time to time and it stayed the same but I was hoping it wasn't due to ill health... We are all thinking about her and deeply appreciate her efforts on behalf of us!
Our group has lost a vital member. Jeanne said it quietly in a post yesterday. I am so sad to have lost another sister. Her legacy is www.thedarkersideofpink.org Please read it, and I believe in her honor we need more personal stg 4 stories on the "Our Stories" part. There are six stories there now. This website was formed to better educate the public about stg 4 and the ability of living a full life in the face of an uncertain future. That is what Sue did. She wanted the website fully functional for October 2005 so we can use it and inform the media so that they can see us, living a full life. My thoughts are with her family now, her kids. She was only 47, too young and had way too much living to do. I was awed by her biography and pictures of her traveling and all that she accomplished in her life. We will all miss her deeply.
We have been so focused on trying to help with the web site, that we haven't yet taken a few minutes to share our own thoughts and feelings. On behalf of the Miller family, as well as the entire "Miller Institute" team, I would like to express our deepest sympathy. Thank you so much for giving Alice and me the opportunity to work through our own grief by doing something worthwhile. Sue was not only a key member of our Board of Directors, but also a beloved friend, and an inspiration to all of us who are passionate about educational reform. There have been numerous occasions when setbacks -- whether for schools we had given our hearts and souls to, or for our own fledgling educational technology organization -- have seemed nearly overwhelming. Besides sharing her wisdom and unique ability to see right to the crux of the matter, Sue always radiated her indomitable energy and spirit, helping us to overcome the adversity and live to fight another day. When I think of Sue, I will always be reminded of this villanelle by Dylan Thomas. Sue's caring struggle against the world's injustices -- tempered always by her love for the world's children -- will live on in every one of us and in everything that we do. To the end, she bravely fought the dying of the light; yet it was her smiling confidence in the future that we will always remember best. Do not go gentle into that good night,Mark L. Miller, Ph.D., Executive Director The Miller Institute for Learning with Technology mlmiller@learningtech.org I will always remember Sue begging me to take a French foreign exchange student about 13 years ago. We had an exchange student the year before and the experience was not as great as I hoped it would be. I kept saying no, Sue kept persisting, Finally she won me over because she said no one else would take this one boy because he was a vegetarian. She said he would be perfect for me because I am a vegetarian also. She was sure he would be very easy as he spoke English very well. We took Mathieu into our home. Let me tell you about Mathieu! He spoke almost no English and did not want to ever get out of bed to go to class. Sue had to come to my house and bang on the door to get him out of bed! Mathieu also did eat meat when he felt like it! He was very social, quite charming and extremely good looking. The girls were coming over and calling all day long. Don loved the pool parties Mathieu and his friends had with the French girls. So did my son Jack and his friends who were 13 at the time! Mathieu did not know why he could not drink wine, why our bread was not very good and why he could not stay out all night long.He had advanced shopping skills, a long list of American products to purchase and plenty of money to spend. We loved this kid! He was great with my children and we spent many evenings (before he went out!) having amazingly good conversations despite the language limitations. Knowing Mathieu has been quite an experience over the last 13 years. It turns out he comes from a very interesting family. His family( father, mother, father's mistress, and brother) visited us and we have visited them several times. Mathieu is now married with 2 children. Jack and I attended his wedding several years ago in the south of France. It was incredible. Mathieu always asks about Sue. Thanks to Sue our family has some wonderful memories. This is only one way she touched our lives. We will miss her. Kathy, Don, Jack, Kim, and Kerry Leonard Just want to say thank you to Sue, meeting you and knowing you. You gave our family a great school to attend. The Vitangelis It always seemed to me that people who do so much good in this world should be given a little bit longer in it. In so many ways, Sue was the mother of this movement. She started the first charter school and she saw to it that, as more were created, their leaders played nice with each other and stood up for each other the way family members should. She believed every minute that charter schools would serve students the best by empowering parents and educators to make their dreams for their children real. I will always feel a great sense of gratitude to her for entrusting this movement to us. We had hoped she would be able to attend the conference again this year. We were able to get word to her last week that we would be naming the scholarship fund in her honor... We will miss her. Caprice Young All of us in the charter school movement owe a great debt to Sue Bragato. Present at the "creation" in 1992, Sue immediately recognized the need to support the parents, teachers and community leaders who wanted more and better educational options for our children. In her role as the Executive Director of CANEC, Sue took a nascent movement and made charter schools into a powerful tool of educational reform. And despite all the difficult challenges and obstacles she faced in accomplishing her vision, Sue never lost sight of what was most important--serving the people of the movement, and all of us who knew Sue are grateful for her kind and unwavering support over the years. Sue's legacy lives on in the now tens of thousands of California school children whose lives are brighter because Sue cared enough to make a difference. We will all miss her tremendously. Peter Thorp It is with an incredible sense of loss that I react to the passing of a dear friend and colleague. Sue has been my friend and many times my confidant. I will miss her, but will find an ongoing joy in the memories of the investment she made in my life and the lives of so many who will never know of her dedication and devotion. Please allow me to extend my prayers for her family and for those of us who loved our Friend, Sue. Mark Ford, PhD Superintendent Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District I will miss your spirit and your determination. We are all better off because you were amongst us.
Sue was a pioneer in the charter school movement in California and nationally. After helping to found California’s first charter school, the San Carlos Charter Learning Center, Bragato pulled a nascent CANEC from the organizational ashes and spent several hard-working years as its executive director, building it into a leading force among charter organizations nationally. We will remember Sue for her “can-do” spirit and exceptionally optimistic outlook on life, even when enduring dozens of rounds of intensive chemotherapy. In recent months, Sue repeatedly urged us all to enjoy life and not work too hard. We will miss her and offer our condolences to her family, including daughter Jenna and son Chris. -Eric Premack On behalf of all of us at Hallmark Charter School we wish to send our condolences to Sue’s family and to all of her close friends.When we started our school six years ago we appreciated the tremendous support from Sue and the organization as I’m sure many other charter schools can say the same. We have lost a tremendous individual and our lives are better for knowing and learning from Sue Bragato. Sincerely, To all Sue's family and friends, Sue's work laid the groundwork for many to follow. I did not have the pleasure or opportunity to meet her. But her pioneering sprit allowed Peter Hayden, President I wanted to share a brief story about Sue Bragato -- I met Sue during the summer of 1999 -- she was the Executive Director of CANEC and she hired my then long distance girlfriend, Julie Cruit, to join the organization. Julie would consistently come home and tell me what an amazing woman and visionary she worked for in Sue Bragato. I watched Julie, now my wife, become more and more passionate about her job and the charter school movement and I attribute much of this to Sue and the organization she created. Bye Sue I met Sue in February of 1993 - 18 months before the SCCLC opened - when we formed the first Governance Council. There were well over a hundred community members - a lot of talent - who had volunteered to be on that first GC. We were lucky to get Sue. She led the Communications Team and many other efforts: interfacing with the SCTA during a very delicate initiation phase; setting and implementing policies and procedures for admissions and enrollment; procedures for GC transition and changing membership; helping identify the role of the GC; site selection and moving the SCCLC both to and from the first Harbor site; leading community forums on provocative issues such as buying-back parent hours; participating in staff assessment and assessment policy. She was a leader in bringing learners into the decision making processes of the GC. And she was a steadfast and positive figure during the furor surrounding an Educator's abrupt resignation during that first year of operation. We all know about her work with CANEC, pouring her energy and intelligence into building that organization. I attended the 3rd CANEC meeting in 1995, which I believe was Sue's first in the role of an organizational leader. [It was such a good meeting that the next year, I volunteered to be a substitute teacher during the CANEC meeting so that one of our Educators could attend.] It's amazing that I'm able to open up text files from long-obsoleted word processing programs. I've just re-read the ebullient Press Release that Sue sent out in the spring of '94, announcing Carol Drace's hiring as our first Educator. And I found the letter I wrote in '95 to say "bye" after my 2-1/2 year term on that first GC ended. I thanked more than a dozen by name. Sue's was second on the list. Sue was such an upbeat, positive, encouraging, friendly person. And she could be so strong and so assertive and accomplish so much, while always smiling, never threatening anyone, conciliating, compromising, making everyone feel good about themselves by being part of the team. I'll miss Sue. Our community, our village will miss Sue. Just last night, I was paging through Hamlet and considering his silliloquoy on "the measure of a man." {.. What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed?...."} Sue synthesized her thought and the action to the useful ends of our society. Sue was the antithesis of and an antidote to our 'panem et circenses' culture. Through action and through service - and through her joy in serving - she improved our community and made us all better, made us all want to do better. David Krevor God Bless you Sue, we are all so lucky to have known you and shared in your generosity and caring. My love to you, Chris and Jenna, you all are in my prayers. I know Sue is in a better place and probably has already volunteered to work for, and with all the kids in Heaven with her. Thanks for the memories.
I (had) the privilege of knowing Sue. She was an awesome person with a great attitude. She worked hard at the many, many things that she did; from being John Shroyer's personal assistant, to being an advocate of Charter Schools, to being a Mom; just to name a few. All of our prayers go out to her family. Sue gave an incredible speech at the Breast Cancer Walkathon at Carlmont last Summer. Although I did not know her, she was truly an inspiration even when struggling with cancer. I can see why she would have been such a cornerstone to SCCLC and CANEC. Thanks for letting us know. Patty & Erich To my angel, Sue, I truly meant that the night I sang to you by your bedside, and I will forever cherish that moment we shared. When I sing this song now, I will remember all the wonderful memories of ours. You are such an inspiration, I love you and you will be dearly missed.
Our universe has a big hole in it. In my whole life I've known no one who will be missed more by all who knew her than Sue. She truly was an inspiration to all who knew her. She never quit. Creative to the core, she said more than once, "It looks good; it's necessary; it will help kids. Let's DO IT!" Anyone who knew Sue also knew that kids were at the top of every to-do list she had. If there were more like Sue around, this world would be a much better place. She fits one of life's great mysteries; why is it always the good people who have to leave us so soon. Jenna and Chris, my heart goes out to you. You had one of the greatest moms in the world, and she loved you more than anything, but you know all that. My deepest sympathies to you and your family during this painful time. The good part of all this, if there is a good part, is that her suffering is now over, and we know she's gone to a better place. May God be with you all. Frank Dooling I am saddened to read this evening that Sue has graduated to another time zone, as I read recently in an obituary. I kind of liked that thought, as we know that her spirit is not gone. And she has touched so many of us. She will be missed so much. May your wonderful memories sustain you as you learn to live in this world without Sue. Hugs and Prayers - Jeanne I am saddened to hear of Sue's condition. Please tell Sue's family they are all in my prayers as you all go through this tough time. Peace, I'm new to this site, but I would like to extend my condolences to Sue's children and family tonight in their great loss. Words cannot help, I know at GOD BLESS YOU ALL Brenda De Laet
From the San Carlos Charter Learning Center Listserv: For those of you who didn't know or don't know who Sue was, you could call her the grandmother of the SCCLC--more than a founding mother, as she was the head of CANEC, the support organization for Calif Charter Schools, until she got sick. I never knew her personally, but I certainly knew of her and admired her, and amazingly enough she knew of me. Dear Sue & Family,
Hi, Sue-- What Cancer Cannot Do To A Keeper, ¸..¸ __/ /\____ Thank you for being a special part of my life!
¸...¸ __/ /\____ ¸,.-·²°´ ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸ `°²·-. :º° You're a Keeper! Patricia Monsoor Director, Corporate and Marketing Communications Determina, Inc. Dear Sue and Family - Thank you for the privilege of your friendship over the last many years. The years that Lesley and Jenna played softball and the memories they provided for us parents are times I will never forget. Then, watching the girls grow up and become young women has become especially enjoyable (and to think they are now at the same college!). Please know that we are here for all of you. God bless. Linda V. McCarthy
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