Ms. Luna Sue Johnston Thames

Luna Sue was born September 12, 1923, to Word and Luna May Johnston in Oxford, Mississippi. At 8 years old, attending a vacation Bible school, she accepted Jesus as her Savior, a decision which would shape the remainder of her life and the lives of people around her. Called Luna by family and friends, she excelled in basketball and track in school. Sundays were spent at worship in the Presbyterian church followed by afternoons listening to her mother read “The Christian Observer.” “My mother was very faithful and wanted us to be faithful as well,” Sue recalled of her mother’s readings.

In 1942 Luna graduated from University High School in Oxford and made the courageous decision to move as a single woman with no connections to Biloxi, Mississippi to work for Western Union, supporting the War effort at Keesler Field. In her new environment, she quickly made new friends and decided she would now be called by her second name, Sue. “It was time for a change,” she would laughingly remember.

In 1943 Sue moved to Jackson, Mississippi where she eventually began her 40-year career as a civil servant, primarily with the Mississippi Tax Commission. In 1946 she married Leflore Elson Thames. “The first thing I noticed was his two-tone shoes,” she would often remark on their courtship. Through their large families and their membership in Daniel Memorial Baptist Church, Sue and L.E. raised four children and cheerfully ministered to the people in their lives. Whether through sharing vegetables from their large garden, visiting and praying with the sick, or opening their home to relatives in need, Sue and L.E. were a source of help and hope to many. Sue’s positive outlook on life and her calm demeanor attracted, encouraged, and nourished everyone around her.

In retirement they moved to Biloxi, Mississippi to be closer to their daughter Jennifer and her family. After L.E.’s death in 2001, Sue remained on the Gulf Coast, serving as a volunteer to the Seaman’s Mission, until moving to Auburn in 2015, again to be close to children and grandchildren. In her new environment, she continued to brighten the space around her with her kind words and quick wit. “Everyone here says ‘War Eagle,’ but I’m a Rebel,” she would proudly proclaim as she pointed to the Ole Miss sign on her door. The words “sweet” and “humble” were often used by everyone whom she touched and especially by those who cared for her at her Camellia Place assisted living home. A true daughter of her Lord and Savior, Sue’s inclusive love for everyone was evident in her every word and deed, lived prayerfully each day.

Sue is preceded in death by her husband, L.E. Thames, her brother Wendel Johnston and sisters Jean Cain George and Elizabeth Beard. She is survived by her brother, Dr. Joseph Johnston (Mary) of Mount Olive, Mississippi; her daughters, Jackie Jumonville of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, and Jennifer (Mark) Faircloth of Opelika, Alabama; her sons Jon Paul (Seong) Thames of Conyers, Georgia, and James (Chae) Thames of Columbia, South Carolina; seventeen grandchildren and numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren.

Sue’s family is especially thankful for the loving attention provided by her caregivers Deborah Dowdell and Janice Wimberly, as well as the staff of Camellia Place.

Sue’s funeral will be at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Daniel Memorial Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, with visitation at the church at 9:30. Her burial at Lakewood South Memorial Park will immediately follow the funeral service before friends and family are invited to return to Daniel for a reception.

Memorials may be made to Compassus Hospice Angels by selecting “Donate” at www.hospiceangels.org