Cabot Holds Memorial for Livingston

More than 150 Cabot House community members gathered on Saturday afternoon to honor the memory of Cabot House Administrator Susan Livingston.

Livingston, who was serving her 28th year as house administrator, died on Jan. 11 in an electrical fire in her home at the age of 64.

Various speakers regaled the audience with humorous but moving anecdotes about the devoted friend and caring colleague who had been “snatched from [their] lives.”

Cabot House Master Rakesh Khurana greeted the crowd and spoke about the “mutually caring” community that Livingston created in the House.

Livington—a lover of cats, diet soda, and musical theater—was described as someone who could relate to the House’s “iconoclasts, the square-pegged, and the quirkiness among us.”

“Susan was Facebook before there was Facebook,” said Maura A. Henry, a longtime friend of Livingston. “She was the original social network.”

Many of the remarks addressed Livingston’s passion for theater and her role in founding the annual Cabot House Musical, which she directed and produced every year.

Katherine E. Kleeman ’74, who frequented the theater with Livingston, began her remarks by citing lyrics from Stephen Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” the 2009 Cabot musical.

“Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!” she quoted.

Kleeman said that despite Livingston’s recurring health problems, she persevered in holding herself, others, and her musicals to her high expectations.

Outside of Cabot House, Kleeman and Livingston saw many shows together, from Broadway musicals such as “The Producers” and “Chicago” to smaller productions, including a musical about conjoined twins.

“I know my old theater buddy will be with me always,” Kleeman said.

Halfway through the ceremony, 14 House affiliates performed the closing number to “Guys and Dolls,” last year’s Cabot House musical, providing the audience with copies of the lyrics and encouraging them to sing along.

The former cast members also announced that the House musical, which Livingston started 19 years ago, will indeed perform this spring with “Annie Get Your Gun,” which Livingston had selected in the fall.

The memorial ceremony concluded with an a cappella performance of “Amazing Grace,” sung by Jordan A. Bryant ’11.

—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.