Suzanne "Suzy" Duvall

Suzanne “Suzy” Duvall, 84, of Dallas, Texas, beloved sister and sister-in-law, loving mother, grandmother extraordinaire, art aficionado, funny friend, and the life of various parties, joined her Heavenly Father on Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Austin. Her peaceful passing over the Fourth of July weekend punctuated her firecracker personality. Her fight against dementia stole some memories, yet it never took away her sense of humor, feistiness, the sparkle in her green and hazel eyes, or her love and kindness for her family and friends.

Born on September 26, 1939, at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, Texas, to Marjorie Cofer Duvall and Ralph “Duley” Duvall, Suzy lived her early years in Oak Cliff and the family rejoiced when baby brother Bill arrived in 1948, making them a happy foursome. Designated the natural comedian of her friend group, Suzy was chosen as “Miss Personality” by her peers at Sunset High School. She attended Texas Tech University and made lifetime friends when she pledged Pi Beta Phi sorority. She also found the only love of her life when she met, as she would say, the “Big Man On Campus” (BMOC), Raymond Austin Gressett, a football player at Tech from New Mexico who was President of Phi Delta Theta and three years her senior. They married in 1960 and moved to Midland while Ray started his career as an accountant. Dallas called them back home soon enough, and Ray began a new profession in real estate while Suzy thrived being back with family and friends. Always fashionable and well-versed in the history of art, Suzy dabbled in painting, as well as buying and selling art for some of Ray’s real estate projects. Additionally, her illustrious people skills were useful as a co-manager of some of Ray’s residential real estate properties with her best friend, Elynor Williamson. The two became lifelong friends, traveling the world together, oftentimes with Elynor’s husband, Doug.

Suzy and Ray welcomed their first son, Raymond Austin Gressett Junior, on their third wedding anniversary in 1963, and their daughter, Jennifer Paige Gressett, arrived three years after that. The family of four lived in Richardson for many years, attending Spring Valley and Lover’s Lane Methodist Churches, and becoming active members of Royal Oaks and Bent Tree Country Clubs, where they were blessed by dear friends and enjoyed golf, tennis, and social gatherings. Suzy’s most cherished moments were the holidays she shared with her parents, and her brother Bill’s growing family after he married Bren “Rusty” Kennedy. As a devoted mother, Suzy was enthusiastic about celebrating her kids’ lives, always making sure birthday parties were special, road trips were entertaining with music and games, and vacations were filled with magic, such as the time she, Ray, Bill, and Rusty took her children to Disney World when it first opened. Philanthropy was also important to Suzy, and she loved volunteering with the Junior League of Dallas, and she always stayed in touch with her Pi Beta Phi sisters from Tech, especially her college roommate, Shirley Spillman. The Texas Tech Pi Phis began meeting annually for the past twenty-five plus years for reunions, and Suzy attended almost every one until she was unable to do so. Still, her friends wrote countless letters and sent many prayers while Suzy was in memory care.

Beyond her wildest dreams, Suzy picked up her fancy shoes and exquisite clothes almost ten years after her divorce from Ray and left Dallas for Austin in 1999. Her daughter Paige’s first pregnancy made Suzy realize she wanted to be closer to her grandchildren, and the bold move resulted in new friendships all over Austin, including at Tarrytown United Methodist Church. “Susu”, as she was affectionately known by granddaughters Layne, Riley, and Quincy, could have had her own parking space at Casis Elementary when the girls attended that school because she was there so often, and she also loved Grandparent’s Day at St. Andrew’s. Making sure her grandkids knew about the artists, musicals, plays, and books of the past became a passion of hers, and Susu never missed an opportunity for one-on-one time with each of them. She loved her New York City trips with Layne and Riley to visit museums and see Broadway shows, and her time at the Austin Children’s Museum with Quincy, who often called Susu “her best friend.” Suzy’s last twenty-five years of life in Austin were filled with joy and challenges near the end, even as she continued to make unforgettable and beautiful impressions on anyone who crossed her path. She made many friends at her final home, The Village at the The Triangle, where caregivers would often say she won “Best Dressed”, which always made her smile. She was faithful and quick-witted, cared about what others thought and how they were, and maintained her strong will and physical strength up until her last day here on earth. Suzy is survived and dearly loved by her brother and sister-in-law Rusty and Bill Duvall, their five children and spouses, as well as their sixteen grandchildren, all of whom adored their Aunt Suzy; her son, Raymond Gressett Junior; her daughter and son-in-law, Paige and Jamil Alam; and her three granddaughters, Layne, Riley, and Quincy Alam.

A faithful friend and family member who had impeccable timing and provided endless comic relief, Suzy will be dearly missed and never forgotten as we wait to see her again in heaven. The family would like to express their great appreciation and love to all the people in Suzy’s life, including the Williamsons, Spillmans, Texas Tech Pi Beta Phis, as well as friends from Tarrytown United Methodist, Tarrytown Pharmacy, The Village at The Triangle, and Bluewater Hospice. As Suzy would say, you are all “Big Deals!” She would want you to laugh often and remember to put all your worries in a “God Box”, so you don’t have to carry them. Suzy loves you forever and we are eternally grateful.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled in honor of Suzy on Monday, July 29 at 2 p.m. at Tarrytown United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to one of Suzy’s favorite places:

The Blanton Museum of Art at www.blantonmuseum.org,

The Salvation Army of Austin at www.salvationarmyaustin.org,

or Tarrytown Methodist www.tumcaustin.church .