Woodhaven lost a long time community staple this past weekend when Susan Farrell died following a bout with the flu. She was 53.
A member of Community Board 9 since 2002—where she served on its Public Safety Commission— Farrell also served on the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association (WRBA).
Ed Wendell, president of the WRBA and a friend of Farrell’s, said he was “very, very sad” when he heard the news.
Wendell credited Farrell for bringing a controversial proposal to change the direction of two streets in Woodhaven—89th Avenue and 84th Street—to the attention of the WRBA. After protests from local residents as a result of WRBA bringing attention to the matter, Community Board 9 postponed a vote on the matter earlier this month.
“Susan was a real character, a real Woodhaven treasure,” Wendell said,
“and she was very, very active; she loved her community.”
The funeral mass was held Monday at St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven.
Maryann Carey, district manager for Community Board 9, remembered Farrell as a devoted member of the community board who frequently attended their meetings, often getting rides there from friends or a senior center van because she couldn’t drive.
The last time Carey had spoken with Farrell was after the board’s January meeting, when Farrell had told her that she was ill with a cold.“She told me that she was thinking about going to see a doctor,” Carey recalled of their conversation.“That’s the last time I spoke with her.”
Having known Farrell for 10 years, Carey said she would miss her friend’s sharp wit.“She always had something cute to say, and she was very pleasant,” she said. “She was loved by everyone who knew her, and she will be missed.”
By Jean-Paul Salamanca
jp.salamanca@theforumnewsgroup.com
