People
Remembering Sue Tucker Briggs
Sue Tucker Briggs
A note from Patrick Torres, on behalf of RLT:
“It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to inform you that Sue Tucker Briggs passed away on July 29.
Sue Tucker Briggs’ legacy at Raleigh Little Theatre is immeasurable and her hours spent in service of the organization are uncountable. I met her my very first day on the job and was immediately drawn to her stories about RLT. She told me about her experience watching her first RLT performance before the theatre was built when the company was performing in the space above Briggs Hardware. She served as a champion for RLT throughout her life.
Sue Tucker Briggs performed here, won a Volunteer Production Award for her service, and joined the Board in 1979. She was elected to serve as the Board President in 1982 when she hired Haskell Fitz-Simons as Artistic Director. Sue also played a pivotal role in building the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre through fostering community support and fundraising for the project. Since her term on the Board of Directors ended in the 1980s, she has served on the Advisory Board placing her alongside Al Wolfheimer as the two people to serve the longest in this capacity. It is easy to see how deep her impact was on this theatre she loved.
Over the past six years, Charles Phaneuf and I would visit Sue to fill her in on what we were working on at the theatre. I loved telling her about the shows we were planning to present and hearing her opinions about what we should put on our season. She would tell us stories from every decade of RLT’s history with crystal clear precision and a wickedly funny sense of humor. We always left feeling grateful for her and her influence on RLT.
The loss of Sue Tuck – as she was lovingly known around here – is heartbreaking. She was a link to the very beginning of RLT – and that wisdom is irreplaceable. But through the heartache, we also celebrate. We celebrate her long life, her legacy here, and her incredible spirit. We are fortunate to have had her as a part of this organization for so long.
Sue Tucker Briggs’ legacy will live on in everything we do as a company, and we are thankful for her service.”
Click here to read Sue’s obituary. A graveside service will be held at Oakwood Cemetery on Monday, August 3, at 11am.