Mary Sue Koontz Nelson

An unapologetic Texas original, Mary Sue Koontz Nelson decided at the age of 94 she’d had enough of all our foolishness and left to paint rainbows on June 3, 2026. A legendary flirt and controversial dynamo, she was known as Sue, Sweet Sue, SuSu, and “The Queen of the HK Ranch.”

Mary Sue was born on Halloween, October 31, 1931, in San Antonio, Texas, and adopted by the late Dr. and Mrs. Allan Clark Shields of Victoria, Texas. She grew up in a medical family which owned the Victoria Hospital (as she often loved to say). After high school at Hockaday and two years at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia, she proudly graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1953. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and a helluva dancer.

Having outlived three husbands, she never stopped loving the men—and how they all loved her! Sue married her dashing VMI sweetheart, Dan Conoly, in 1954, and had two children, Shell and Bart. After that chapter was over, Sue returned to Victoria.

Sue married Victoria County rancher Henry Clay Koontz in 1961 and fully embraced her new role on the HK Ranch. Visitors to the ranch left highly entertained by Sue’s charm and unmatched wit, which proved to be the perfect complement to her husband’s world-renowned Red Brahman cattle business. They welcomed a son, Claude, in 1964. Both Sue and Henry were thrilled to host royalty, old-time ranchers, movie stars, mariachis, and, of course, cattle buyers from around the world. All were welcome and all were dazzled by her outrageous joie de vivre.

After Henry Clay’s tragic death in 1985, Sue spent a few years in Colorado before meeting Tom Nelson, a rancher from Alabama. They married in 1990 and spent the next 32 years raising world-class Quarter Horses on the HK Ranch. After Tom’s passing in 2022, Sue moved her life to San Antonio where she entertained new friends and made a close companion in Money Adams. But Sue missed her dearly loved ranch daily.

Throughout her life, Sue was never shy and always a creative performer with the gift for making an entrance and the ability to make an impact. From being a radio talk show host in Crested Butte (“Lunch Break with Mary Sue”) to becoming a much-sought-after motivational speaker who represented and epitomized Texas ranch life to a national audience, she was always honing her gift for telling and embellishing stories. Many will remember her red rhinestoned jacket and red boots on stage as the keynote speaker for the Keynote Speakers Conference. “Let me tell you something, honey: when you start a new career, and you’re over sixty, you better blow your own horn before you run outta wind!” And, she never did run outta wind.

Sue was a people person who devoted much of her time to helping causes she believed in. She served on the boards of Texas Opera and the Victoria Bach Festival and volunteered for the Warrior’s Weekend in Port O’Connor. But perhaps her largest contribution was benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation by publishing a hit cookbook, Stolen Recipes. Sue was no cook, never knew a kitchen, and was proud to boast she didn’t even know how to cook an egg, but she could steal recipes! It sold like hotcakes.

Sue was a true force of nature who unabashedly spoke her mind, and was entirely unforgettable. The world will be a quieter place without her presence, but as Sue always said, “When I die, look up at the sky. I’ll be there painting the pink in the rainbows.” She will be terribly missed.

Mary Sue is survived by her three children: Shell Koontz Morrison (and Andrew Morrison), Bart Conoly Koontz (and Margaret Koontz), and Claude Keeran Koontz (and Jessica Koontz). Sue will also undoubtedly be remembered with great love by her grandchildren: Lucas Bartolome Somoza, Fernando Storm Somoza, Shell Munro Koontz, Bart Conoly Koontz, Henry Clay Koontz, and Serena Caroline Koontz.

A memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, at 3:00 pm at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 11 St. Lukes Lane, Alamo Heights, TX 78209.

Honorary pallbearers are Money Adams, Shawn Egg, James Donnell, Jr., Edward Lindsay, Lynn Merritt, Mickey Pachta, Fernando Somoza, and Kevin Staples.

The family wishes to express its gratitude to Flor Nguyen and the staff of the Forum Lincoln Heights, Dr. Mark Thornton, Living Tree of Life Home Health, and Heart-to-Heart Hospice. Also, with great appreciation for their lifetime of service and love, we thank Annie J. Todd and Mary Padilla. We have no doubt the two of them are preparing the paintbrushes for Ms. Sue.

She was preceded in death by her three husbands, Dan Conoly, Henry Clay Koontz, and Thomas Nelson, as well as grandson Augustus Cummings Koontz.

In memory of Mary Sue, contributions can be made to AugustHeart (https://augustheart.org/donate/) or the Victoria Bach Festival (https://victoriabachfestival.org/get-involved/donations/), both of which held a special place in her heart.