Verna Sue Basham, 85, of Greenwood, Arkansas passed away Thursday, June 19, 2025. She was born in Barber, Arkansas on February 4, 1940, the daughter of Vernon Dewitt Elmore and Dora Ellen (Holmes) Elmore.
Sue graduated from Greenwood High School, Class of 1958. Following graduation, she married her high school sweetheart, Tommy Dale Basham. They started their family and moved to Oklahoma City then Little Rock for a time.
After the Greenwood tornado, they decided to return home to help rebuild the town they loved. They started Basham Agency, an insurance and tax business. Tommy and Sue were married for 64 wonderful years until his death in 2023.
Sue was a lifetime member of the Greenwood United Methodist Church, a Red Hatter, a Silver Sneaker, and a member of the women’s service sorority Epsilon Sigma Alpha, among many other church and civic organizations. She retired as a dental hygienist assistant at Dr. James Burgess Dentistry and as the social chair at Basham Agency, but her favorite job was being "Granny Sue" to all her grandkids and their friends.
Sue was a fashion enthusiast and always had to dress her best. She enjoyed fancy jewelry and wearing all the trendiest styles. Vacationing was also one of her many love languages. She loved to be at the beach, campground, the lake, or anywhere the car would take her. She spent her life convincing Tommy to take vacations and loved telling the tales of all their adventures to anyone who would listen. At home, she enjoyed entertaining and being surrounded by friends and family. She was always up for a visitor and brought everyone she could into her inner circle. Her proudest accomplishment was pouring love into all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Sue is survived by her sisters in law, Jean Basham and Marilyn Beacraft; her daughter, Sandee Atkins (Scott); sons, Chris Basham and Todd Basham (June); grandchildren, Keather Hansen (Bryce), Whitney Carroll (Antonio), Brenna Woodhull (Seth), Tyler Basham (Katie), Anna, Oren, Zenie and Zayin Basham, Noah Basham, Olivia Basham and Trey Woods; two step granddaughters, Jason and Charley Toney and great-grandchildren, Jude and Ezra Hansen, Sybil and Florence Carroll, Rosalie and Theodore Woodhull and Annaliese Basham.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Vernon and Dora Elmore, her brother, Oran Elmore and her husband, Tommy Basham.
Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Friday, June 27 at McConnell Funeral Home Chapel in Greenwood. Viewing and visitation with the family will be Thursday from 5 – 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be made to the Greenwood Education Foundation, 501 Bulldog Loop,
Greenwood, AR 72936.
To share a memory or leave a message for the family, please visit www.mcconnellfh.com.
