The Lost Love Stories with Bob Hope and his wife Susan: Finding Joy After Loss

Send us Fan Mail After a little bit of a podcast hiatus, **The Lost Love Stories is back!** And I couldn't think of a better person to return with than my dear friend, Bob Hope. And yes… **that Bob Hope.** 😉 Well, not *that* Bob Hope—but if you've known him for more than five minutes, you understand why everyone loves this Bob Hope, too. Bob and his wife, Susan, were married for 46 years. Their story was one of deep love, friendship, adventure, family, service, and a whole lot of Georgia football. When Susan was diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer, everything changed. But throughout her 26-month battle, Susan continued to live with an extraordinary sense of optimism, generosity, and hope. In this deeply personal conversation, Bob shares the story of their life together, Susan's final months, the people who surrounded them with love, and the remarkable legacy she left behind. We talk about the strange and beautiful ways our loved ones remain with us after they're gone—the dreams, the memories, the mannerisms we recognize in their children and grandchildren, and those little moments when you think, *"That's Susan."* We also talk about something especially meaningful to me: **how Bob helped me find my own way back to joy after losing Jon.** After Jon died, Bob became what I jokingly call my "grief guardian angel." He checked on me, understood where I was because he'd already walked the road I was just beginning, and eventually gave me the nudge that changed the trajectory of my own grief journey: **"You need Honduras, and Honduras needs you."** That trip became a turning point for me—and it all started with Bob and Susan's connection to Honduras and the work they helped build there. In this episode, we talk about: ❤️ A 46-year love story and how Bob and Susan first met ❤️ The hilarious story of Bob trying to win Susan over—including an opera date she definitely didn't forget! ❤️ Susan's diagnosis and the 26 months that followed ❤️ Why hope mattered so much during Susan's illness ❤️ The powerful moment when hospice helped Bob give Susan permission to let go ❤️ The ways Susan's generosity continues through her children and grandchildren ❤️ How her love of Georgia football became part of her legacy ❤️ The importance of celebrating someone's life while they're still here ❤️ Bob's unexpected role in my own journey back to joy after Jon's death ❤️ The story behind the Honduras outreach and the HAVE Foundation ❤️ Why service, friendship, and community can change our lives after loss ❤️ What happens when you begin imagining the rest of your life after losing your person One of the most beautiful themes in our conversation is that **loss doesn't erase the life that came before it.** This is a conversation about grief, but it's also a conversation about **hope.** About finding your way forward without leaving your person behind. And about discovering that joy can come back in ways you never expected. I'm so grateful to Bob for sharing Susan's story with me—and with all of you. Welcome back to **The Lost Love Stories.** 🤍 Listen & Subscribe If you've lost someone you love, I hope this episode reminds you that you don't have to "move on" from them. You can move **forward with them.** Listen to *The Lost Love Stories* wherever you get your podcasts—and if this episode touches you, please share it with someone who might need a little hope today. Watch on Youtube:  https://youtu.be/zpxJwXjr1b8 #TheLostLoveStories #GriefJourney #LifeAfterLoss #HealingAfterLoss #GriefAndLoss #Widowhood #LossOfASpouse #GriefSupport #FindingJoyAfterLoss #HopeAfterLoss #LegacyOfLove #LoveAfterLoss #StoriesOfLoss #GriefPodcast #PodcastRecommendations Email thelostlovestories@gmail.com with comments, questions or to be considered as a guest on show.