It was a great shock when we, Chris Fowler and Ineke Cornelissen, as administrators of Sue’s André Rieu fan group the Harmony Parlor on Facebook, received the message that Sue had passed away. We already noticed that she lost energy and activity lately, but she never revealed what really was the matter. This sad message reached us via her Australian Bestie Berys McEvoy. Obituary. I (Ineke) suspect that Sue has been an André fan right from the beginning (just like me, from far before 2000) when there were only blogs and guestbooks for communication. Sonja Harper (USA) was the connecting person for the André Rieu fans at the time (her dormant blog is still online: https://www.andrerieutranslations.com/. In 2005 André started the open-air Maastricht Vrijthof concerts in his hometown, in The Netherlands. Here we met Sonja, Sue and other important fans. Sonja wanted to stop her blog, so in Maastricht 2007 we discussed how to continue the fan communication to spread the news over the world. Sue was willing to start the “Harmony Parlor” blogspot in 2007, supported by John de Jong (USA), as an extension of Sonja’s fan chat box. That year André Rieu Productions released the first DVD road soap series “Welcome to my world” with interesting and funny videos of the orchestra touring the world. Videos were not suitable on blog spots, but my husband Ruud knew a solution: to start a “movies” website in 2007: www.andrerieumovies.com. Both were the successors of Sonja’s blog and both still work together for 20 years! In 2010, Facebook was a popular platform, and the chats from Harmony Parlor blog spot transitioned into the Harmony Parlor fan group on Facebook (now: Meta), also led by Sue and John. This successful English-language fan group is still up to date with the latest news, following André Rieu in his career and personal life. (The earlier blog spot is still dormant on internet: https://harmonyparlor.blogspot.com/.)

Sue traveled to Maastricht for several years (2007, 2008, 2009), where we met all important fans from across the world and had a lot of fun. Hilarious was Jann’s (Australian website moderator) and Sue’s vegemite tasting in Maastricht 2009 (after Andr é had called it “rat poison” in an Australian interview). We took trips to the original “Red Rose Café” in Hoorn, we enjoyed dinners, picnics, and meet-and-greets (by JSO-members) together. Close friendships formed with fans on various continents. We also met Sue in Toronto (Canada) at the very special Christmas concert featuring the copy of the Viennese Schönbrunn Palace, and the fans almost snowed in at the hotel with André and the orchestra! In 2017 Ruud and I went on vacation to California to attend the San José concert and to visit Sue. Being at her home, we witnessed her love for pets, her four dogs and two cats. We had lovely meals together with her daughter Heather. At that time, she was already dealing with some medical ailments that she did not want to make a big deal out of. Talking about André, working on and following the success of the Harmony Parlor group on FB to grow to almost 23.000 members (strictly screened by Chris to keep the scammers out!), filled her up with joy. Lately, things had been getting quieter around her, and she barely responded to our questions about the Harmony Parlor fan group, of which she still was “the Big Boss”, with Chris and I as her assistants. We wondered if something was wrong. But we never received clear answers. Now we understand why!! Bee’s message today came as a shock. We hadn't known that she had been terminally ill lately. Cancer, chemo’s, hospital, passing. We knew nothing about it. She didn't want the fans to know. Now the reality is there. Sue has found her peace, and hopefully she will fly to meet her beloved ones in Heaven. We thank her for all the work she has done for the André Rieu fans. She will never be forgotten, always remembered with love. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Berys, Heather, and all family to bear the loss. I am sure the fans will burn candles for her at home or in July at the OLV Basilica in Maastricht (Chapel dedicated to Mary, Star of the Sea). Ruud and Ineke Elshout-Cornelissen.

Visiting Sue and Heather in 2017

Our Dear Lady (OLV) Basilica in Maastricht and the Chapel dedicated to Mary, Star of the Sea.