By Rick Stedman
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many reflect on the moment they met the love of their life. For Kevin and Susan Grady, that moment came later in life.
“When we met, it was instantaneous for me,” admits Susan. She knew in a heartbeat there was something special. Not only was there a physical attraction, but their first three dates were spent on snowshoes! Both loved the outdoors, especially snowshoeing.
On those early outings, the couple spent hours talking. Susan recalls, “I really felt it was the perfect way to get to know someone. Sure, you can sit around drinking coffee and chatting, but breaking trail with someone is a much better barometer of compatibility.”
They quickly discovered they shared a passion for staying active. Snowshoeing became one of their favorite ways to spend time together. After all, living in Vermont usually offers plenty of snow right out your back door.
Susan explains: “We met online in early January 2018, and then in person on February 10th, right before Valentine’s Day, where we went snowshoeing on some trails in Brattleboro, Vermont.” Susan admits, “I definitely fell in love on the trail!”
Initial snowshoeing dates
On those first few snowshoeing dates, they chatted non-stop and eventually went to lunch. “I felt so comfortable and at ease with him,” she admits. “And there were those warm blue eyes and amazing dimples! From that moment on, we saw each other every weekend, and regularly went snowshoeing, cycling, hiking, or gardening.”
But it was snowshoeing that the couple loved most. One of their favorite locations was the Readsboro Rail Trail, near their home.
At the start of the pandemic, both Kevin and Susan worked remotely. “We figured since we got along so well being with each other 24/7, we could have a wonderful life together,” says Susan. So she sold her house, moved in with Kevin, and they began talking about getting married.
Before they met
Before they met, Kevin and Susan had previous lives that included spouses and children. While Susan divorced several years prior, she had two children from that marriage. Kevin spent several years as a caregiver for his ill wife until her passing.
Throughout his life, Kevin was always active, pursuing hobbies like contra dancing, bicycling, snowshoeing, hiking, and kayaking. As an industrial engineer, he worked in the Netherlands for an American-owned manufacturing company. While there, he mastered the Dutch language and adopted their way of life by getting around on a bicycle.
Susan served for 20 years as a high school teacher while pursuing hobbies like running 5K and 10K races, sprint triathlons, snowshoeing, and hiking.
When the stars finally aligned for Kevin and Susan, they knew their time had arrived. “Love is the sweetest fruit at the end of the beautiful journey called waiting.”
And then the unthinkable happened: Kevin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Ironically, on the day he was diagnosed, Susan was teaching a high school health class, and the topic was cancer. “On the day he was diagnosed, that was the day we really started living,” says Susan.
With his ever-present calmness, Kevin didn’t panic. Instead, he began thinking about how to take care of the woman he loved. They decided to get married, holding a Zoom wedding during Covid.
Kevin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Nov. 30, 2020; they were married Feb. 21, 2021; Kevin’s surgery followed on July 8, 2021. He died on March 16, 2022.
Looking back
In retrospect, Susan said, “We were only together for five years, but it took me 60 years to find him.”
Towards the end, both were glad to have the chance to grieve together. He spent five months in ICU. She cheered him up by playing “We Got to Get Out of This Place!” by The Animals. Eventually, they did go home together.
It was especially important to Kevin to spend his final months at home, where he had lived for 27 years.
“When he came home, we tried to make things as normal as possible, though he was still on oxygen,” Susan recalls.
Keeping in touch
Kevin and Susan strongly believed in a spiritual afterlife. They vowed to keep in touch through experiences in nature and classic 1980s rock music. Susan had been collecting heart-shaped rocks for years.
While visiting Iceland, Susan shared, “When we visited a heart-shaped glacier, I immediately thought it was a message from Kevin.” The guide clarified that the glacier was merely receding. Regardless of the explanation, Susan was still convinced it was a message.
Before they met, Kevin and Susan each cherished being outdoors. That’s where she feels his presence the most. Susan explains: “I believe the soul of the departed can inhabit all forms of nature.”
In Portugal, while spreading his ashes, a sudden breeze gently touched her cheek. She knew it was Kevin. On another occasion, she placed his ashes in a stream near their home. When she returned to her car, “Take Me to the River” by The Talking Heads was playing on the radio. “And I laughed and cried all the way home,” she said.
Moving forward
After Kevin’s passing, Susan began spreading his ashes at some of their favorite hiking and snowshoeing areas. “Then, I got the idea to travel and spread his ashes in places I felt he would have enjoyed.”
Since then, Susan has traveled around the globe. With each trip, she sprinkles a small amount of Kevin’s ashes. Most of her trips have been with Road Scholar.
In 2026, she plans to bicycle in the Netherlands. “As Kevin loved that country and wanted to share it with me, I knew I would go there eventually… After scattering a small amount of Kevin’s ashes over more than two dozen locations around the globe, I will spread the last of his remains in the Netherlands.”
Susan and Kevin are living proof that true love stories are never-ending.
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