Island Icon: Susie Vetter

By BERIE GROBE, Coronado Historical Association Volunteer

Many wonder what it might have been like to live in Coronado during a simpler time. Just ask Susie (Susan Elizabeth) Vetter, known as “Susie with the laughing face” to friends, family, and others. She breathes life into everyone’s day. “I don’t think of myself as very exciting, but my friends all say I am,” she says with a recognizable chuckle and a twinkle in her eye. Susie is passionate about the City of Coronado, a trait once used to describe her late father, Dr. Paul Vetter, back when Capt. Al Ovrom headed the “Vetter for Better” committee to support his candidacy for appointment as Mayor. To know Susie Vetter is to learn about Coronado during a simpler and happier time.

Susie was born and raised in Coronado during the peaceful years following World War II, before the bridge was built. Her stories evoke the wonder and magic of Crown City as a carefree village where children could thrive. Born on January 30, 1947, to Dr. William Paul Vetter and Dr. Ethel Waters Vetter, Susie was part of a loving family. Paul had retired from the Navy in 1942 and attended USC dental school, while Ethel continued her practice as a pediatrician in Coronado. Susie was one of three siblings, with an older sister, Christine (who eventually became a Superior Court Judge), and a younger brother, Loc (a renowned orthopedic surgeon). She laughingly characterizes herself as the “middle child,” destined to find the world as a place where everything is fun. “That’s what middle children do.”

Coronado was a small village with no stop signs or traffic lights. Living across from the bay before the golf course was built, Susie and her siblings would walk to the water’s edge and pretend they were walking into quicksand to see how far they could go. For fun, she and her friends would sneak out of the window at night and run around Coronado after dark. If a policeman went by, they would just hide in the bushes. Some nights were spent sneaking into the Del, where they would run around, invade the mattress room, and tell ghost stories before sneaking out again. Saturdays found her at the Village Theatre, where 50 cents would buy a movie plus popcorn and a Coke. She recalls Burt Kramer, the manager who tried to keep the kids in line and oversaw the many birthday parties there. Later, she remembers eating at a restaurant called Kay’s Chalet, the site of Coronado Lock & Key today, and the place of her first date with Richie Vernetti. Summers were spent at the Beach & Tennis Club at the Del, where swimming instructor “George” taught kids to swim in the then saltwater pool. The family also attended the club’s monthly parties.

Being a City Councilman and Mayor’s daughter was “exciting”, but Susie was always “in trouble” and found it hard to stay under the radar. She never liked being the center of attention, but those who know Susie well will tell you that she definitely is just that. “High school was exciting,” but her parents thought it was a bit too much, so they moved her to the Convent of Sacred Heart.

Susie went on to college but returned home to become her father’s dental assistant for 12 ½ years. She moved to Tierra Santa for a while until she gained enough equity to purchase her own condo at The Monterrey, her parents’ first home in Coronado. She volunteered at the Coronado Historical Association until she became a San Diego Old Town Trolley driver for 11 years. Of that, she laughingly says, “I loved talking to people about Coronado because I spent half of my life at the Hotel Del misbehaving.” Then she adds, “I also loved doing that because you have people coming from all over the world to learn about your city…it was a beautiful experience.”

Susie served as the President of the Coronado Women’s Golf Association, the President of the San Diego Council of Ski Clubs, and even spent a few years on the lawn bowling green. With her love of the Crown City, she designed and wears a crown necklace and earrings. Her golf cart and lawn bowls both bear a crown logo. “I am passionate about this city. It’s my home. When I lived in Tierra Santa, every time I crossed the bridge to see my mother, I would say to myself, I’ve just got to get back here. So, when they said they were converting The Monterrey to condominiums, I was the first to buy.”

Susie would tell her mischievous 16-year-old self, “Believe in yourself but keep your friends close, because I know how important that is.” You can see Susie many mornings with her labradoodle, Jersey Girl, strolling the beach walk at the Del. If you do, invite her to sit on a bench with you and regale you with many more stories of early Coronado and all her friends.

True to its mission to serve as Coronado’s primary center for community history, the Coronado Historical Association (CHA) conducts special oral history interviews with Coronado natives and long-time residents. This special, ongoing project is called “Island Icons.” Oral history is critical to capturing local history because it helps us record information and stories that might otherwise go undocumented. Local history is not included in national textbooks or history books, so it is up to organizations like CHA to collect these important first-hand accounts and memories for the future. Island Icons stories are permanently archived at CHA. More information about the program can be found at coronadohistoryexhibit.org.