OperaSuzy brings down her final curtain

OperaSuzy brings down her final curtain

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norman lebrecht

November 05, 2020

Janos Gereben reports the death of opera superfan Suzanne Turley, known universally as OperaSuzy:

The outpouring of grief was palpable in reaction to the news that she died on Friday in her Dolores Heights home, at age 81. The common expression “died at home” is especially poignant in her case because for years now, Turley has been shut in her house, surviving with oxygen as her COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) progressed.

It was with portable oxygen tanks that she last attended SF Opera and Merola performances, unhappy, in 2018, that she couldn’t repeat her many experiences of being at all cycles of the 16-hour Wagner Ring. Her love of opera and artists began in 1950 and permeated her life to the very end…

Read on here.

 

Comments

  • R. Brite says:

    My, this brings back memories, chiefly of the old Opera-L listserve (which I see now has migrated onto Facebook). Glad to see Janos is still around, and sorry to hear of OperaSuzy’s passing.

    • papageno says:

      Had many fun Opera-L gatherings and friendships back in the day (remember Nick Olla and Charlie Handleman?)… as well as SF Opera standees association. All gone with the wind now.

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