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Suzy Gershman RIP

Latest News & Archives, Shopping, Travel News — on July 25, 2012 1:24 pm
Suzy Gershman RIP

One of the great travel writers and a lifelong friend, Suzy Gershman, lost her long battle with brain cancer earlier today. Most of you remember Suzy as the author of the legendary “Born to Shop” book series. Regular readers of my website knew her byline well, with her “postcards” sent to me from all over the world.

I knew her since we were both 5 years old – kindergarten – in Manhattan. And from our earliest days, I always knew Suzy was a force to be reckoned with. She was streetwise almost from birth, and could hit the ground – literally – running, and not only knew everywhere she needed to be, but almost miraculously, seemed to already know everyone she needed to know before she even arrived.

If you ever wanted to know what was happening in Paris, Rome, London, Hong Kong, or points in between, Suzy not only knew, but she was already there or had just returned. We both grew up in New York, but I would bump into Suzy – literally – in hotel lobbies from Capetown to Bangkok, or from Tokyo to Chicago. Our encounters were unexpected at first, but then Suzy began leaving me notes in hotels around the world because she heard I was coming…not just to say hello, but to have bragging rights that she had been there ahead of me.

Not too long ago, while she was in London on a writing assignment, she suddenly became disoriented on the street outside of Harrod’s – a store she knew blindfolded. She said she forgot where she was. The next day she had trouble walking. Back in the U.S. the diagnosis was bleak – the same kind of inoperable brain cancer that took Ted Kennedy. I flew to San Antonio to see her. She was already heavily medicated by the time I got there, and tired easily. But we sat and talked for about an hour. We held hands. We laughed. We told bad stories about the people we didn’t like, and funny stories about the people we loved. Suzy was anything but shy. She always told you where you stood – and she was almost always right.

When I visited her in the hospice in Texas, she told me her most important wish: She wanted to live long enough to see her grandchild be born. The doctors were not optimistic, but few people have Suzy’s resolve, or her energy. She DID live long enough to see her grandchild, and then she was ready to say goodbye.

It’s not often that you can accurately describe someone as living a full life. But Suzy did live a very full life. She was a citizen of the world. She was bigger than life. She experienced more things in a single week than most people dream about and never do their entire lives.

At a time like this, I am reminded about a line from one of my favorite movies, Fried Green Tomatoes. Jessica Tandy tells Mary Stuart Masterson that “someone will stay alive as long as you remember them.” And that will certainly be the case with my friend Suzy Gershman. I will always remember her. She will always be alive.

By Peter Greenberg

  • Carolsorgen

    So sorry to hear this. I interviewed Suzy years ago about her Born to Shop books,
    and then met her in person in Ireland a few years back. We shared a love of France and I’m sorry I never had the opportunity to meet up with her there. Condolences to all who loved her.

  • http://twitter.com/autiglobetrot margalit francus

    So sorry to hear.I’ll always remember her as incredibly energetic and excited to try new adventures.Deep codolences to her family and friends.

  • Ian

    Just raising a scotch to Suzy for being a wonderful person.  I had a lot of fun with her travelling round the world photographing her for The Born to Shop series, as well as other editorial pieces we did together for various magazines. Happy Days. Ian Cook

  • Hal Wingo

    Hal
    Thanks to you, Peter for this beautiful tribute to a beautiful person.  Suzy worked for us at PEOPLE and we became good friends.  We stayed in touch through the years but I did not know of her terrible and terminal diagnosis.  

  • Ian

     Hi Hal,    It was thanks to a PEOPLE assignment in Paris that I first met Suzy and from there I ended up shooting the covers of her Born to Shop series. We had a lot of fun and hard work together. Last time I saw her was August 2011 when we had lunch in London.
    Good to read your comment. It’s been a long time since we last met in the heady days of PEOPLE. Hope you are well.
    Best wishes
    Ian Cook

  • Dguerriero

    RIP. How wonderful to have modern day explorers. Maybe we cannot hit all the hot spots around
    the world, but it’s still great to read about them from those who seem to know what is important to tell us.P

  • KZern

    Peter, this is such a beautiful tribute to her life. Thank you. Kristin

  • Lanny Jones

    Suzy was such an elegant personality — and you captured her beautifully in this tribute, Peter. “She seemed to know everyone she needed to know before she arrived.” Exactly. Those of us who worked with her at PEOPLE were always so happy for her subsequent success, which was much deserved.

  • Andrea White Willott

    Thank you for this tribute to Suzy. I met her in 1962 when she transferred to the junior high in San Antonio where I attended. I last saw her in April, the day her grand baby was born. She was so happy and so proud of Aaron. I will miss her, but she lives on in my memories and in her wonderful work.
    Andrea White Willott
    Friend and classmate

  • Anonymous

    This is a lovely tribute, Peter, and the best thing about it is that you carved out the time to go to Texas to see her.

  • Robin Kataros

    Thank you for this. I remember being in Paris together with her. And trying to catch the train to her place for a weekend in Provence. She had just gotten her ankle out of a cast and we were running to catch the train because we were late getting there and we watched it pull out of the station and we laughed and cried at the same time. We were late because the damn taxi’s wouldn’t take us with her dog – imagine, the French taxi cabs not taking us because we had a dog with us! I finally told her to go hide behind a car with her dog and when I finally flagged down a taxi and got him committed to take us, then Suzi came over with her precious pooch. More laughter,more cussing under our breath at the stupid French taxi drivers. Oh, that voice and that laugh. I will miss her terribly.

  • Maggiemb1

    I met Suzy at Mizzou where we were San Antonio freshmen. She transferred to UT but laughingly claimed she went to Columbia after our Mizzou days. She could cook a meal in a popcorn popper and somehow figured a system to bypass the long distance dorm charges–a feat which made her very popular. She dedicated her Caribbean book to me after guesting with me in Miami. I shall miss her as I’m reading her Born book right now, going through Customs in Hong Kong. We’ll toast you, Suzy, at one of your fav spots tonight!

  • Krusentoonz

    So sorry to hear about Suzy’s passing. I am a huge fan ot hers. The best to all that loved her.

    Anne Krusen

  • Allan Glube

    from Allan & Rhona Glube , Toronto, Canada

    Suzy touched our lives in many ways. My wife was her #1 fan , read all her books
    and knew when her new books were coming out.

    On my wife’s special birthday I arranged a surprise for my wife that Suzy
    participated in by having a 3 hour lunch with us in San Diego.
    Suzy did not know us [ as we lived in Toronto] but since my wife was turning 60 in March of 1998 and Suzy was turning 60 in April she could identify with what I was doing.
    On my wife’s birthday, Suzy agreed to send her a surprise email, advising her 
    that she would love to have lunch with us in San Diego on March 26th.

    We became fast friends and since we were going to Provence that summer
    we ended up renting her house in Vaison la Romaine for 10 days.

    We met Suzy and Sarah for dinner in Paris the following year and kept
    in constant touch as my business takes me to all of the places that Suzy
    wrote about.

    In Dec of 2009 my wife was reading Suzy’s blog and saw that she
    was renting or selling her house in Vaison la Romaine. for the 2010 year.

    To make a long story short we ended up buying Suzy’s house in Vaison la Romaine.

    So you can see how she has touched our lives in many ways.

    We will certainly miss her and are deeply saddened by her passing.

    Allan & Rhona Glube
    glube6283@rogers.com

  • Mimi Johns

    I am shocked and saddened. Truly enjoyed her books and her blog.

  • Anne Woodyard

    With each memory I read, more of my own remembrances of Suzy come to mind. Thank you so much, Peter, for this beautiful and meaningful tribute. We’ve been privileged to know Suzy for just a decade or so, and have spent time with her in Paris, Provence and Texas. Kirk and I were her dinner guests for a People shoot in Paris – that was an evening to remember! And how fun to read, Allan & Rhonda, that you met Suzy and then purchased her house! A very special place…She’s certainly living on in all of our special thoughts and memories.

  • Jyee24

    a lovely tribute…

  • Janice

    I started to cry when I read this.  I’m reading C’est La Vie and already feel like I know her.  I loved how she told us how she brought some of her husband’s clothes to Paris. When she bought the sweat suit and compared it to a hug.  She was missing her husband’s hugs.  Now they can be together. 

  • Barbara

    So saddened and sorry to learn about Suzy. How I loved and read each and every one of her books, even if I didn’t ever plan on visiting that particular city. And I often wondered what happened to her blog and latest book release. Peter, you are so lucky to have known Suzy so long. Although I regret not knowing her personally, I felt such a friendly, warm connection to her books.

  • Scotty Reiss

    Thank you for this beautiful story, Peter. As a young magazine editor, Suzy was a mentor and an inspiration to me–not only in her ethic and energy, but also how she knit the world into her own comfortable, familiar fabric. She was funny, true and always, amazing. I will miss her greatly, but always treasure that I knew her.