Neighbors, Suzie McGinn, Diane Lolli, Jackie Cusick, and Kathy McAndrews marvel at the interconnectivity and serendipity of their lifelong friendship:
- Three of the four ladies grew up in the same River Forest, Illinois neighborhood.
- Three attended Trinity High School in the ‘50s.
- Three married husbands who graduated from, and have a strong affinity with, the University of Notre Dame.
And, all four eventually, independently, and quite ironically, moved to Barrington’s Fox Point neighborhood, where they became neighbors and besties while raising their growing families.
Fast forward several decades, and, much to their surprise, this foursome now lives at The Garlands!
“How did this happen?” they marvel.
Turns out, theirs was a path paved with common interests, multiple points of intersection, and, if you ask them, divine intervention. “The common denominator in our lives is the fact that we are all women of faith,” says Suzie. “We believe that there is a measure of God’s hand in bringing, and keeping, us all together.”
Friends for well over six decades with seventeen kids among them, the ladies recall many shared parenting experiences, including Indian Guides and Princesses, Junior High CCD, ice skating excursions on Fox Point’s Lake Louise, Fourth of July neighborhood parades, multi-family camping trips, several shared family vacations, Notre Dame game days, and, in later years, their children’s wedding celebrations.
“We were like an extended family for one another,” says Suzie who recalls that “back in the day,” the kids would babysit for each other. “Now, whatever expertise we need — medical, legal, or whatever — among us, we have the grown-up, ‘in-house’ expertise, to help us manage it!”
The “extended family” has since expanded to include a collective 57 grandchildren and 20 great grands! “That’s a lot of baby showers!” they laugh, and they happily report that the kids and grandkids visit often.
“The kids want to keep an eye on us and be sure we are behaving!” Suzie laughs. “When they’re at The Garlands, we run into each other at dinner or in the hallways, and it is always, ‘Hi Mrs. so and so’ and big hugs and kisses!”
While all four of the ladies came to The Garlands at different times and independent of one another, they each chose to make the move while they were in good health and in control of the decision. “It just so happened that The Garlands was, once again, a mutual ‘YES’ for us all!” says Suzie.
Neighbors once more, only this time under the same “roof” at The Garlands, Jackie says, “Everyone here is just so warm and friendly. We’re all so blessed to be here . . . together!”
