Eleanor Mae Hesp

Born on October 13, 1941, Eleanor, or “Susie” as she preferred to be called, was born in Dixon, Illinois and was the daughter of Charles J. Reynolds and Delores Mae Reynolds. She has two brothers, William Reynolds (Jan Reynolds), and Patrick Reynolds (Di Reynolds). Susie has two daughters, Tracy Anne Begley (Jason Begley) and Jennifer Lea McIntyre, niece Crystal Reynolds, and three grandchildren – Mackenzie and Molly Begley and Cameron McIntyre.

These are merely bare facts regarding Susie and barely paint a picture of someone who was truly a firecracker of a lady. From Dixon, Illinois Susie and family moved to Littleton, Colorado and in high school they settled in Phoenix, Arizona. Susie graduated from Camelback High School in 1959 and promptly started making her way in the world. Her first adventure was as an airline flight attendant (stewardesses as they were known then). She flew the friendly skies and then came home to cruise the streets of Phoenix in her MG coupe working in law firms. A love of cars was always a part of Susie, and she took scrupulous care of the vehicles she owned. Her beloved 280ZX was a cherished friend. As she entered into marriage, she morphed into the role of an Air Force Officer’s wife. She was an entertainer extraordinaire and was always seen out and about in military circles doing what she did best, making people feel at home. Stationed in Guam, she met Martha and Gordon Brewer, who were to be friends through the years. Susie adventured as a buyer across Southeast Asia and experienced all the culture and customs of the Orient. She also became an adept crafter, becoming an excellent knitter and crochet.

As time passed and circumstances in her life changed, she became single once more. Living in San Antonio, Texas she continued to make her way for herself and her daughters and entered into the legal world as an executive assistant. This eventually led to her making a full circle back to Phoenix, where she lived along with her, now adult, daughter Tracy.

Life continued to make changes for Susie and she decided to make the move east, to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren. During those years, she made sure she was an integral part of all of their lives and took special care of her precious grandchildren whenever she could. Always close to her family, she was a lively member of any social gathering! She loved to visit her friend Martha and her husband Gordon at their mountain cabin in Ellijay, Georgia. Her saucy wit and humor were famous and the only thing that could sometimes keep her at bay was a strategically placed cup of Bailey’s and coffee!

Her last years were spent in Woodstock, Georgia. The Lord doesn’t want us to stay too far away from home, and Susie was no exception. He welcomed her back into his arms on August 6, 2024. She leaves a wealth of warm memories of her voice, her humor and her presence. We will always be missing our Susie.