If you’ve lived in Brea for a while you likely know Susan Gaede, or Newsy Suzie, who kept us up on the chatter around town through her column in our local newspapers for more nearly 50 years.
Suzie is no longer writing for a newspaper, but still is interested in what is going on in Brea and sharing highlights from her many years of covering events and people in Brea and La Habra.
I recently visited Suzie and her husband Rex, a retired Air Force Colonel, at their home. Arthritis keeps Suzie pretty much at home, but she keeps up with what’s new and all the local happenings and still loves a scoop!
Suzie has an identical twin, Louise, who is also a columnist, but in Northern California.
Growing up, they were known as Sue and Lou and had much fun and mischief being identical. For instance, as teens they were hospital candy strippers. Suzie said a patient said he thought he was seeing double when he saw them together.
Suzie didn’t like her senior photo so she used Lou’s. But probably their worst twin trick was in college when Sue took an exam for Lou and they got caught and nearly kicked out. Another time, they sneaked into the Academy Awards dinner and didn’t get kicked out. They both love celebrities.
Suzie said she never planned to be a journalist, and was an elementary school teacher for three years and a substitute teacher at bases round the world when Rex was an active Air Force officer.
Later she worked in public relations, contacting television stations and newspapers. That led to the women’s editor of the Brea Star-Progress asking her to write a social column.
“The rest was history,” said Suzie, “and ‘Gadabout with Suzie’ began.”
She loved taking photos and was thrilled when she was asked to be the photo editor of a new Brea newspaper, the Brea Good News, and continued writing her column, which became Newsy Susie.
After that newspaper folded, The Orange County Register asked her to write a column with photos covering six…
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