Sue Eileen Caudel Key was born on November 29, 1947, in Memphis, Tennessee, the first child of William Allyn and Alma Sue Caudel. At the age of eight, her family moved to Texas, and she loved what she considered her home state. She especially loved cheering the Spurs.
After graduating from high school, Eileen attended Texas Christian University and earned a teaching certificate. On December 21, 1968, she married Terry Key. They had three children. Eileen loved her family deeply and often expressed her pride in her children and grandchildren.
She liked to say she survived 32 years of middle schoolers. After retiring from teaching, she launched a secondary career as a writer of Christian fiction. Her novels bore splashes of her trademark humor and always pointed to the importance of faith.
Eileen was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Kelly Ender. She is survived by son, Matthew (Dawn); daughters, Sarah (Matt) White and Rachel (Ryan) Gross; grandchildren Trevor White, Eliana Key, Samuel Gross, Abigail Gross, Caleb Gross, and Timothy Gross; sister, Patricia Smith; many nieces and nephews.
Memorial services at 11am on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at the First Baptist Church of Helotes.
