Mary Sue Brown, 88, of Oklahoma City, was joyfully welcomed into heaven on October 11, 2019, passing peacefully at home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was born on March 4, 1931, to Syebelle Hood Butler and Milton Hawes Butler. She and her sister, Diane, were raised in Norman, Oklahoma, by her mother and a host of loving aunts, uncles and grandparents. Susie graduated from Norman High School in 1949 and the University of Oklahoma in 1953, where she earned degrees in library science and English. Her claim to fame was a double date with James Garner, but it was a blind date that changed her life when she met Gordon, the man of her dreams. What followed was a lifetime of adventures, family, laughter and devotion. They were married on June 6, 1953.
Susie worked at Bizzell Memorial Library at the University of Oklahoma while Gordon attended law school. Except for two years while Gordon served in the JAG Corps at Barksdale Air Force Base, they lived their entire married life in Oklahoma City. After the birth of her first child, Susie’s life was committed to raising her family and community service. She was a champion for her children, serving many years at their schools, and as a Cub Scout den mother for her two boys and Blue Bird and Camp Fire leader for her daughter. She attended all their sporting events, including football, baseball, wrestling, softball, track and cross country. She and Gordon were avid OU Sooners sports fans, together attending every home football game but three since 1953, every OU-Texas game, and 37 years of men’s basketball coupled later with women’s basketball, until her health declined in recent years. Then she watched on TV.
She cherished her membership in Chi Omega sorority, actively serving the alumni organization in numerous roles for more than 50 years. As a member of Junior Hospitality Club of OKC, she was a cast member in its Follies fundraising shows. She volunteered at the Oklahoma Heritage Association in its archive section, clipping newspaper articles about Oklahomans, assisting with annual Hall of Fame honoree biographies, and serving as a judge for the annual Oklahoma National History Day contest. She attended Westminster Presbyterian Church where she was an Elder, Sunday School teacher, active women’s circle member, and volunteer at the Westminster Manor nursing home. She loved to read, work crossword puzzles, paint, and play bridge and tennis. She taught many friends and family to water ski, and learned to scuba dive to join Gordon on dive trips to the Caribbean. Together they built and painstakingly maintained family homes at Lake Tenkiller and Lake City, Colorado, enjoying many years at each with family and friends.
Susie was preceded in death by her beloved mother and sister. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Gordon F. Brown; her three children: Paul and his wife, Beth; Michelle Robnett and her husband, Lance; and Vance and his wife, Janet; her cherished grandchildren: Carly Moratto, Amanda Digney, Bailey Brown, Elisabeth “Libby” Hines, Laura Brown, Katelyn Robnett and Travis Robnett; great-grandchildren Calvin Moratto, Elisabetta Moratto, Claire Digney, Hattie Beth Digney, Lowell “Leo” Hines and Owen Hines; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. The family is eternally grateful to Susie’s long-time loving caregivers, Nancy Moss and Dolores Yazzie.
Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m., Monday, October 21, at Westminster Presbyterian Church (4400 N. Shartel Ave., OKC). Viewing is at Hahn-Cook/Street and Draper Funeral Home (6600 Broadway Extension) on Sunday, October 20, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family available from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Donations in Susie’s memory may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church.
