Ara May Hubbard

Susie was born June 1, 1949, in New Iberia, Louisiana, the eldest of five children of James Clifton Hall Jr. and Ara May deGravelles Hall. She was the fourth Ara May in the family, and with three others still living, her dad nicknamed her Susie, likely after “Susie-Q,” the song by Shreveport’s Dale Hawkins. Her family called her Susie ever after, though friends from boarding school onward knew her as Ara May.

Susie was courageous, kind, and vivacious. Her younger siblings loved her and looked up to her. Fifteen years older than her youngest sister, she still made room for her, whether that meant a turn under the hair dryer with her friends home from school or a game of hide-and-seek in the yard. Susie loved the outdoors, first as a camper and then as a counselor at Camp Green Cove in North Carolina. Her love of camp eventually brought all four of her younger siblings to Green Cove and Mondamin.

She finished high school at All Saints’ in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and went on to Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she was president of her freshman class. She also attended Tulane University and earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Auburn University in 1973. An intrepid traveler, she joined her uncle, Dr. William deGravelles Jr., and her brothers on trips to the Soviet Union, Italy, Germany, Dubrovnik, London, Stockholm, and Helsinki.

She found her calling at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, where she taught and oversaw the school newspaper. She had friends all over the city, a yellow Lab named Appalachia (Appy for short), and students who still ask about her. In 1977 she earned a Master of Science in Education from Drake University in Des Moines, specializing in reading, and moved to Aspen, Colorado, where she taught at Aspen Country Day School and in the Aspen public schools.

She was a dedicated teacher and reading specialist for many years, and her greatest joy was teaching young children with learning disabilities to read. In Colorado she ran a tutoring business where children who had struggled everywhere else finally learned to read, and it changed their lives. Parents who had nearly given up hope came to thank her in tears. She was ahead of her time in insisting that every child learns differently, and she never hesitated to challenge the experts when she knew a child needed another approach.

Susie was dauntless and one of the most determined people her children have ever known. In Aspen she earned a black belt in karate, beating her own instructor along the way. She also led Outward Bound expeditions that until then had been led only by men. She would try anything, and she excelled at whatever she took on. She raised her two children to be just as adventurous. They camped and fished at Ruedi Reservoir, hiked to the Maroon Bells, skied and sledded, and she let them chase what they loved even when it must have scared her. She taught them that nothing was too scary or out of reach if you put your head down and got to work.

Susie was always there, at every hockey game and every horse bath before a show. She froze at the rink, sweated ringside all summer, and crossed the country and the globe so her children could pursue their passions. Because of her, they show up for the people they love, no matter what.

Life with her was never boring, and any excuse was a good excuse for a celebration. Even a long way from Louisiana, there was a king cake every Mardi Gras, plus one for the kids to take to school. With the rest of the family far away, she kept her own little family close around the dinner table. She had them reading everywhere, even in the car, and she taught them proper grammar. She never took no for an answer when it came to protecting or championing her children, and even when they were in trouble, they never doubted they were loved. She was the best mom.

In 1996 she returned to the Des Moines area. After several teaching jobs, she did what she had always done and went looking for the hardest one. She found it in one of the toughest classrooms in Des Moines, with the children she had always been best with, the ones who were struggling the most. She taught in the Des Moines Public Schools until she retired in 2015.

For all her grit, Susie had just as much grace, and it showed most through her kindness. Wherever she lived, she was kind to everyone she met, and one of the greatest lessons she taught her children was to lead with it. She was loyal and caring, and she gave generously without ever expecting anything in return. She made friends everywhere she went, and many became friends of the whole family. A born storyteller, she drew people in, and her version of a story was always an improvement on the original. She was so good to her brothers and sisters growing up that they have gone out of their way to look out for her children ever since. She built and nurtured her children’s faith. She fiercely adored her grandchildren, and they carry on her fearless spirit and determination.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her uncle, Dr. William deGravelles Jr. She is survived by her son, Michael Peter Hubbard II (Lauren); her daughter, Ara May Johnson (James); her grandchildren, Madeleine Elizabeth Hubbard, Michael Bateman Hubbard, Sydney James Johnson, and Scarlett deGravelles Johnson; and her siblings, James Clifton Hall III (Wendy), William Bateman Hall (Dianna), Ortte Young (Jeff), and Haifleigh Pritchard (Tommy).

Service details will be announced later. Arrangements are by Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Chapel, Jacksonville. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Des Moines Public Schools Foundation.