Frances "Sue" Lindsley Justice

Frances “Sue” Lindsley Justice died peacefully at her home on Friday, April 1, 2016, at age 93. She was predeceased by her husband, John G. Justice; parents, James Trimble and Willie Mae Hughey Lindsley; brothers James T. Lindsley Jr., Paul Lindsley, Charles Lindsley, all of Nashville, Fred Lindsley of Clarksville; and sister Elizabeth Lindsley Sellick of Nashville. Survivors are her three children, Stephen G. Justice (Valerie) of Santa Clarita, CA, Susan Justice Roland (Perry) of Missouri City, TX, Faye Justice Eson (Rod) of Houston, TX; and sister, Norma Ragan (Buddy) of Nashville. Sue was born April 22, 1922, in Lebanon, TN. She was the third of seven children and loved music. While she had limited piano training as a child, she was blessed with a natural musical ability and played piano by ear. On rainy days during high school, Sue would often play piano during gym class for the students to dance. As a teenager, Sue and her sister, Liz, sang and played guitar. They were known as “The Wonder Valley Girls” and regularly performed live on a local Nashville radio station. Sue also played piano for her church. Sue graduated from Bellevue High School in Nashville. After high school, Sue had a short-lived job at a local factory that converted to manufacture aircraft parts for WWII. Since Sue looked very young for her age, the manager told Sue to bring her mother to the office to confirm her age. Always independent, Sue was not going to comply and did not return. Then fate intervened. Sue applied for a job at Castner-Knott department store in downtown Nashville and was hired to work the candy counter. About the same time, a young man named John Justice accepted a management training position at Castner-Knott after having served in the Navy during the war. The first time Sue saw John, she knew he was the one for her. One day when John walked by the candy counter, Sue tripped him with her foot to get his attention. That was the beginning of a 67-year marriage. Sue and John married August 14, 1948, at North Edgefield Baptist Church in Nashville and drove to Chattanooga for their honeymoon. John’s best friend and best man, Felix Graves, made the hotel reservations and had a surprise for the newlyweds. When Sue and John arrived, the room had two twin beds and Sue knew her life with John would be filled with laughter. Sue became a buyer for gloves and handbags at Castner-Knott and was a buyer for the opening of Castner-Knott in Green Hills. John left Castner-Knott to start a career in the steel industry and later opened his own company, Justice Steel Inc. After eight years of marriage, Sue learned she was pregnant and left her retail career to become a fulltime mother. After Sue and John started a family, they joined Crievewood Baptist Church in Nashville. Sue taught Sunday School at Crievewood for many years. Sue and John enjoyed hosting the annual Sunday School department party at their home. Sue was a member of the Gateway Acres Garden Club of Nashville where she created a beautiful scrapbook filled with photos and her hand-drawn illustrations that highlighted the club’s activities. She was also a member of Belmont Mansion Association and The Woman’s Club of Nashville. Sue had a flair for decorating and the Justice’s home on Hillsboro Road showcased her sense of style and design. The family later joined Woodmont Baptist Church in Nashville and were members at Woodmont several years until moving out of state with their children. Sue and John’s greatest joys were their three children. They rarely vacationed without Steve, Susan and Faye, and made the unusual decision to bring all three young kids on a special trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Many of the Justice family vacations occurred as part of the Lions Clubs International conventions. John was a lifetime member of Nashville Downtown Lions Club and served as International Director. These trips created special family memories that we cherish. In their later years, Sue and John moved from Nashville to California and then Texas to be near their children. The only requirement was that Sue’s piano had to follow. Sue enjoyed playing her piano until her death. The children of Sue and John Justice thank you for your expressions of sympathy. We are heartbroken at the loss of our mother, but are joyous in the knowledge that she is reunited with our father and is in heaven with God. The family expresses special thanks to all the loving caregivers at Atria Senior Living, Sugar Land, TX; Shirley Morrell who cared for our mother in Anaheim, CA; and Kechia Moore Anderson who cared for our mother in Nashville. She adored you all and your kindness and patience enriched her life. We are forever grateful to each of you.