Sue Smith Jobe

Sue Smith Jobe, age 81, of Memphis, Tennessee passed away on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Sue was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 24th, 1943, the second child of the late Ralph Smith and Evalyn Strickland Smith

She is survived by her two brothers, Ralph Allen Smith, Sr. (Sally) of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Stephen Alston Smith (Kathy) of Memphis, Tennessee; two nephews, Ralph Allen Smith, Jr. (Teresa) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and their children, Claire and Clark, Donald Austin Smith (Kelly) of Rockwall, Texas and their children, Caroline and Hanor, Stephanie Smith Jaudon (Chris) of West Melbourne, Florida and their children, Alexa and Alston.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her first husband, Joseph Head

Sue was a lifelong Memphian and graduated from White Station High School in 1961. She graduated from Memphis State University in 1965 with a BS in Mathematics and in 1976 with a Master of Education in Secondary Education.

Upon graduation in 1965, she immediately began teaching in Memphis City Schools at Colonial Jr. High and Overton High School. After retiring from Memphis schools in 1998, she then went on to teach in Desoto County, MS, at Horn Lake High School before retiring fully in 2007. (That’s 42 years of uninterrupted service.)

During her teaching career, she made many life-long friends who remained close even to the present day. Sue enjoyed meeting regularly with many groups of friends for fun and fellowship to catch up on everyone’s families and lives.

Sue grew up in church at the former Union Ave. Church of Christ and was a current member of Oliver Creek Church of Christ. She also held dear her church family and enjoyed her time worshipping with them and meeting in small groups. Her special joy was singing.

Across her adult life, Sue lived in communities where she was extremely active in the HOA, serving in various committees and holding offices, including President, for a number of years. As she often said, Sue learned more about community issues than she ever thought she cared to know. It was very enlightening for her.

Sue was also active in her international teachers’ sorority, Alpha Delta Kappa, into which she was inducted in 1986. Through her activity with ADK, she also made beautiful connections.

Throughout her life, Sue loved nothing more than getting together with the immediate or large extended family & friends; whether a family dinner at a restaurant or home, gathering for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or meeting up for lunch with her many groups of friends. She was a gracious hostess when anybody was at her house, always with her favorite M & M’s to offer! She loved being on the go, and in her earlier years, enjoyed swimming and playing (or watching) tennis.

She cared for family deeply, did whatever needed to be done, and helped to care for many relatives in their later years. The family is grateful for those that cared so well for her these last years, and especially in these last few months, dear cousins Deborah & Dan Smith and her sweet ‘God-ordained’ friend and helper, Joyce Johnson.

Her family will certainly miss ‘Sue-Sue,’ but we take comfort in knowing she is healed, at peace with Jesus, and finally reunited again with her beloved first love and husband, Joe.

A visitation for Sue will be held Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38119. A funeral service will occur Friday, January 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM, 5599 Poplar Ave, Memphis, Tennessee. A committal service will occur Friday, January 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Memorial Park Funeral Home & Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave, Memphis, Tennessee.

Sue will be laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee.