A love story for Valentine’s Day: Charles and Susan La Nauze

​Charles La Nauze (TC 1957) attended Trinity College while studying metallurgy at the University of Melbourne. Never one to be described as an athlete, he became an enthusiastic goalkeeper for the hockey team.

After completing his studies, Charles enjoyed the bachelor life and a degree in metallurgy meant time spent in remote parts of the country such as Townsville and Mt Isa. Later, when living in Sydney, Charles was introduced to Susan Cook on a blind date arranged by mutual friends, Mike and Lois Davey.

Romance was clearly in the air and the new couple tied the knot a mere three months later at the Trinity College Chapel on 18 March 1972. They were married by Bishop James Grant.

Sue, a Melbourne girl, was used to the city lifestyle but was quickly whisked off to Tennant Creek for Charles’ next work assignment, pausing only briefly for a honeymoon in Fiji.

Again, with no wasting of time, two children, Katherine and Andrew, followed in quick succession. A chance move to the Barossa Valley in 1977 allowed the young couple to settle down and the Barossa is where they lived happily together until Charles’s passing at the age of 82 in 2021.

Charles and Sue’s love for each other was deep and enduring. Never ones for grand gestures, they showed their love towards each other in the small and special moments of each day. For instance, Charles would come home from work at lunch time to spend this time with Sue. Cooking was an important part of their lives and an expression of the love they had for one another.

After building a small sailing boat by hand, Charles christened it ‘Susan’s Hope’ in devotion to his wife. Their bond was evident up until their last moments together after almost 50 years of marriage, proving that eternal love really is possible.