Celebration of Life Susan Ricketts

Hey everyone, it's Leo. If you know me, you know my mom was the most important person in my life and my biggest motivator to do well. She was a biracial-black woman born on December 18, 1959, adopted by Ethel Baker & Victor Ricketts in Jersey City, N.J. The universe took her spirit back to the creator nearly 62 years later, on September 2, 2022. Mom survived many events that created the complexity of contemporary America while trying to provide for her five children. Trying to get a fair and proper education as a Black orphan in the Civil Rights and Black Freedom Movements in the 1960s. Deindustrialization, disinvestment, and dismantling labor in her community as a young mom during the 1970s. The war on drugs where many of her friends and family were subjected to death, addiction, disease, and unequal punative treatment for the Black/African-American community from the 1980s to today. The financial and climate crisis of the last two decades made basic life and necessities harder for her, her family, and the people of her generation.

Until age 55, my mother worked multiple jobs in healthcare, education, and retail while somehow surviving the struggles of being a black woman in America: discrimination in racism, the unequal access to capital due to classism; towards the end of her career, the belittling of ageism, and the second-class citizenship in sexism that so often serves as a detriment to women of color in the United States. Not being from a nuclear family, my mother's tremendous pride was ensuring her children were educated and productive members of society. While she was not the best parent, with her share of mistakes and personal issues incurred through life's attrition, her commitment to education was steadfast. She was accepted to three universities upon high school gradutation in 1977 and was an avid reader of murder mysteries, Christian scripture, and print media throughout her adult life.

We never had much of anything, but my mother never made excuses for her circumstances or situations in life and approached every challenge with zeal, character, and hope. Values of hard work, intelligence and pride are why I became a college graduate, public school educator, and one of the most itinerant servant leaders on the planet. She taught me that it does not matter the amount of money you have, but how you treat other humans and your connection to God. Diabetes, unfortunately, took her mobility and ability to work in the latter years of her life. Everything I am in this life is a result of the struggles mom and I survived in the early 2000's. Some of you knew and supported my mom and me already; I know who you are and appreciate you to the fullest for ensuring my family was whole when we needed it. As we lay her to rest with the ancestors, I ask for support in her name one last time. These donations will go directly to end-of-life expenses and logistics. Mom unfortunately transitioned without savings or life insurance. Any assistance is beyond valued and appreciated. Thank you to all who have supported my mom and I thus far. I know her gratitude radiates from the universe on high. Thank you.

With Love & Grace,

Leo S Ricketts