Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
Sue Loncar is a local actress in Dallas and the wife of Brian Loncar, a well-known personal injury attorney in Dallas nicknamed “The Strong Arm.”
Personal Life : Parents, Family and Education
- Sue Loncar is originally from Houston, Texas, and was born in 1959. Her full name is Sue Alford Loncar.
- Parents : She is the daughter of Denny Shermer Alford (father) and Sally Harris Alford (mother). She is also the sister of her brother, Bill Alford.
- Sue was married twice before marrying Brian Loncar, as was the case for Brian.
- She has three children of her own – David, Sally and Patrick Long. With Brian, Sue has two more children – Abby and Grace Loncar. Brian had a daughter of his own named Hailey Loncar.
- Education : She has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and minoring in Speech from the University of Houston.
Theatre Career :
- Sue founded the Contemporary Theatre of Dallas (CTD) in 2002 & and promptly became the Artistic Director for CTD.
- CTD was established and operated at a former Baptist church on Sears Street. It was first a nightclub, and then a Wiccan Community Center before being taken over by Sue.
- She often acts in the plays held there herself, and her late husband attended almost every performance. He was known for giving curtain speeches occasionally and also treating drinks at the bar there.
- After some years, it became the Actor’s Equity Association Small Professional Theatre. Later it gained popularity to become a for-profit theatre, offering some of the highest wages for actors in town. It then went back to a not-for-profit status before closing in 2016.
Fight Against Depression :
- One of her daughters, Grace, has been battling depression since the age of 7. She claims that she could not feel anything from anyone around her. At 11 years old, she attempted to take her own life.
- On November 26, 2016, Grace committed suicide by shooting herself with Brian’s gun after his hunting day.
- A week later, Brian was found dead in his car outside of his office due to a cocaine overdose. He saw himself as responsible for his daughter’s death and was overcome with guilt. Throughout his life, he, too, was in constant battle with his addiction to drugs, alcohol, and depression.
- The passing of Brian and Grace Loncar gave birth to the Grace Loncar Foundation. Sue aims to educate and aid teenagers with depression and to de-stigmatize mental illness through this foundation.
- The logo of this foundation is “Two conjoined strawberries,” reflecting the light at the end of the tunnel in the Beatles’ Song, Strawberry Fields Forever. Grace’s brother, Patrick, introduced her to the song when she was first admitted to the hospital due to depression at 11.
Interesting Facts and Trivia :
- Sue can listen to Phil Collins’ song “Anything” on repeat without getting tired of it.
- She likes plays that talk about relationships and life problems in order to relate with her audiences.
Thank you, Sue, for lighting a candle in the darkness of this awful condition. It takes courage to be open and forthright in the face of tragedy. Wishing you strength and peace.