Golden Couples of Pacific Palisades

1954: Sue and Tom Haldeman

Edited by LAURA WITSENHAUSEN Associate Editor Sue Fenton and Tom Haldeman met as students at USC. ‘He sat in back of me in one of my classes junior year,’ Sue recalls. Both of them had grown up locally’Tom in Beverly Hills and Sue in Cheviot Hills. Haldeman Road in Rustic Canyon was named after Tom’s grandfather, Harry Haldeman, a founding member of the Uplifters, whose summer house still remains. After Sue graduated with a degree in education and Tom with a degree in business, they were married on August 20, 1954 at the Westwood Christian Church. Two months later, Tom was called up to serve in the Navy overseas. Sue moved back to her parents’ home in Playa del Rey during these two years and taught school. After Tom finished his Naval service, the couple lived in Baldwin Hills for five years, then moved to Brentwood. Sue continued to teach, and after the couple had their first child, she became a substitute teacher until their second child was born, at which point she stayed home full-time. Meanwhile, Tom worked at Haldeman, Inc., the heating and air conditioning business started by his father, and now run by the couple’s son-in-law, Mark O’Donnell. The Haldemans moved to Pacific Palisades in 1967 with their four children and Tom began volunteering at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, was active in the Huntington Palisades neighborhood and worked with the Salvation Army. Sue volunteered with the Junior League and in the public schools. When their youngest daughter was in seventh grade, Sue returned to school and obtained her master’s in psychology and her psychotherapy license. She worked as a psychotherapist at the Southern California Counseling Center near Fairfax and Pico and volunteered with OPICA (Older People in a Caring Atmosphere) in West L.A. The couple took up golf 10 years ago, and now enjoy the game when they visit their home at the Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert. Sue, who is retired, plays bridge and started a book club. Tom still goes to the office every day at Haldeman, Inc. in the City of Industry when they’re in town. ‘The greatest pleasure is that three of our four children live close by,’ Sue says. Lauren Haldeman O’Donnell, her husband Mark and their children Patrick and Katherine, along with Tim Haldeman and his wife Tammy and their children, Austin and Allison, are still residents of the Palisades. Melissa Haldeman Mullin lives in Santa Monica with her husband Charlie and their children, Marley and Zade. Carolyn Haldeman Hansen lives in Chicago with her husband Art and boys, Christopher and Thomas. ‘My parents feel very fortunate to have lived in the Palisades and to have raised their children in such a lovely town,’ says Lauren O’Donnell. Asked about the success of their marriage, Sue says: ‘I attribute it to having gone back to school and studied psychology and learned about human nature’realizing we all have our strengths and weaknesses and learning to appreciate them in ourselves and other people.’ Their son, Tim, will be hosting a 50th anniversary party at his home in the Palisades this month.