Memories of DetroitYes post-er Sumas?

[night-timer]

If this post brings back painful memories for anyone, I would ask that the forum moderator pull it, but I'd like to know if anyone here knew Sumas personally. I'm sure some of you did, and she was on D-Yes all the time. She and I chatted by PM, especially after Django passed away, but I never got to meet her, which is a great shame. Django always spoke very highly of her. I think she lived over towards Belle Isle and the river.

[Zacha341]

She was a cool lady, and spring makes me thing of her as she was a landscaper. We chatted a few times and she even recommended a service tech I still use.

[detroitsgwenivere]

I didn't know her but I always respected what she had to say.

As the years trickle on, and more long time contributors pass away, it would be nice to have a special thread where we could re-post some of our favorite quotes from and stories about our departed ones, and talk about how much we miss them.

This site may be one of the only places where our DYES friends could share how they felt about their city and their lives.

[gnome]

She and her husband Ron lived on Field street maybe three or four blocks off Jefferson. The house was really pretty amazing, with incredibly detailed woodwork and a ton of rooms. When Sumas and Django were getting along, Django slept in the basement but really had the run of the house. Django was handy with a hammer and helped keep the place intact.

Sumas was a bit of a prickly pear on occasion, especially the last two years of her life, but did a lot for her neighborhood. She loved the City and was welcoming to all sorts of people.

I can't say we were friends, as she kind of scared me, but she was certainly memorable.

[night-timer]

Yeah, she could be prickly - the 'unofficial Detroit Yes forum moderator' as one post-er described her. But other times she was only too sweet. Is Ron still around?

[jcole]

Yeah, she could be prickly - the 'unofficial Detroit Yes forum moderator' as one post-er described her. But other times she was only too sweet. Is Ron still around?

Ron died before she did

[Zacha341]

^^^ No, he died shortly afterwards. He posted her death date here on this site.

[Zacha341]

I wonder what became of the house G? I hope that someone purchased it and that it has not gone into ruin as so many others have!

I kept procrastinating an invite she extended... Would have loved to sit on the big porch she described.

....The house was really pretty amazing, with incredibly detailed woodwork and a ton of rooms. When Sumas and Django were getting along, Django slept in the basement but really had the run of the house. Django was handy with a hammer and helped keep the place intact.

[gnome]

They had a couple of grown sons and I know at least one boy lived in Grosse Pointe. I assume the house is in the boys' hands, but who knows for sure. Sue and Ron were deeded the home by a friend. They were friends forever and provided hospice care for him. The friend, Mr. Mister, didn't have any children and was not close with his extended family; they never appreciated his life choices but did show up during his final days and tried to strip the house.

IIRC, Django more or less saved the house from the Mr. Mister relatives and their crowbars.

So if Ron and Sue had an actual deed, paid the taxes and if the previous owner's relatives did not have a claim; then maybe the boys would own it.

The boys weren't big fans of the City though.

[pkbroch]

I think of her often. The way she would describe the big dinners she would cook and invite neighbors. Also her recipes. Her husband died with a week or so after Sue, that sometimes happens when a couple is so close. Hope they are happy with their friends up there.

[Dumpling]

I still have a couple of Sumas IOUs. Never met her in person, conversed
a few times here on the forum. I believe I met her husband when he went
to court [[bat) for Pete Barrow the organizer of the blues festival John's
Carpet House when Pete was being targeted by the City of Detroit for
permits, fees, etc. in connection with the festival which had been free
and open to the general public in a fairly desolate area on the East Side.
[[Never went there myself actually). Danny Fenster of Deadline Detroit
was also at court that day covering the proceedings.

[jcole]

^^^ No, he died shortly afterwards. He posted her death date her on this site.

Sorry;got it backwards; I knew they were close together though

[G-DDT]

I joined DY as my first attempt at interacting on a forum [[in fact, one could say, as a quasi-Luddite, I stayed altogether away from the internet up until 2010). My outspoken defense of the city, homeless advocacy, and religion drew her attentions to me [[not to mention criticisms of other things). You can say she even took an odd shine to me. She would PM me on some matters.

All I knew is what she divulged, and that meant she was Episcopalian and lived for a time in Northern KY. She was not very well liked by the folks on the "other site", that frequently dedicated hate threads to her [[among other veterans from DY).

When Django died, I went to the Old Miami for his wake, before heading off to work, and hearing that an ex-GF would be stopping by, I cut out early. Sumas frequently expressed sorrow over his death. When she died, Ron announced her death to everyone on DY within a casual hour's span of advising someone else here on ideal CVS locations which made the occurrence seem-I guess, to me--untimely, if not, surreal. Then he died also. Odd.

EDIT: to add, on a number of occasions, Sumas frequently expressed concerns over harassments that occurred outside of DY but were clearly being perpetuated by some DY users. She often mentioned getting nasty letters addressed to her home address with her user name written on them. If true, than that is very creepy.

[Bobl]

Never met her or Ron. I regret that. Enjoyed her posts.
Did they once live on Second, near Canfield, decades ago?

[NewCenterJack]

Long-time lurker, first time poster. Their older son is a close personal friend of mine, so I wanted to weigh in on a couple points and offer some more detail.

Yes, the house is near Belle Isle and they came into possession of it more or less as gnome described. Upon their passing, he inherited it, along with their boarder and the dogs. He has no plans to sell it currently.

Sadly, I never had the opportunity to meet his parents. I only realized they were related when I saw Sumas' post commenting on her son's difficulties dealing with the city in buying land on the east side for a rugby pitch [[I played rugby with him at the time and made the connection). I believe she got quite sick soon after. As was mentioned, she passed and Ron was not far behind. We held a small get-together/memorial at John's Carpet House. Many remembrance posts from this site were printed and made it into the memorial.

G-DDT's harassment story sounds about right, based on conversations I had with him when I mentioned the forum.

As for the boys' supposed lack of fondness of the city, they both call it home, so maybe it grew on them?

Anyway, hope that helps. Based on my relationship with their sons, Ron and Sue must have been some really great people.

[Lowell]

I met Sumas and Ronjp at a DetroitYES picnic. I liked them both. Sumas was, as others noted above, spirited, Ron more laid back. They cared a lot for the Detroit and were great participants on this forum. I miss them both.

[Lowell]

I didn't know her but I always respected what she had to say.

As the years trickle on, and more long time contributors pass away, it would be nice to have a special thread where we could re-post some of our favorite quotes from and stories about our departed ones, and talk about how much we miss them.

This site may be one of the only places where our DYES friends could share how they felt about their city and their lives.

Good idea. Since this can be handled best by tagging. To that end I have created the tag:
detroityes member obituary.


About tags…
I’m a going to do a call out to encourage tagging generally as it creates virtual forum for topic. For instance, I tag the weekly “10 Things to Do in the D…” thread. If one follows the tag one sees all event threads for a couple of years.
things to do in detroit


How to tag:
It’s very easy. At the bottom of every thread you just click Add/Edit Tags