Sue Smith Marshburn

Sue Smith Marshburn, 78, of Carbonton, passed peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her daughters. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday November 2, 2025, at 2pm at Carbonton Community Church. The family will receive friends before the service starting at 1pm in the church.

Sue was born in Lee County to Clarence Willie Smith and Mary Jane Martindale. She was a 1965 graduate of Chatham Central High School. Throughout her career, she had various jobs, one of which was her years spent working alongside family and friends at Kayser-Roth in Goldston. Her greatest career pleasure came from helping those with developmental and physical disability, with over 30 years spent in service at Lee County Industries.

In her early years, Sue enjoyed such hobbies as cross stitching, antiquing, playing cards with her friends and working in her yard. She loved taking her summer vacations and weekend trips to the Southport and Oak Island areas of the Carolina coast.

Sue’s greatest joy came when she welcomed the birth of her first grandson, Garrett. A little over a year later she welcomed a second grandson, Seth. Her grandsons being the first boys in her family, she treasured every minute as they played farm and doing all the things little boys liked to do. They taught her much about the boy life. Then came along her granddaughter Callie. Baby dolls, hair bows, dresses and everything pink soon filled the bedroom – alongside the tractors and trucks – at Granny’s house that was designated as the grandkids bedroom. She loved taking them for rides in her minivan to Tractor Supply because they could never have too many toy cows or horses. She enjoyed getting to watch them play sports before her health began to decline. As the grandkids grew into young adults, Granny always obliged when Callie wanted to take “selfie” pictures with her.

During this time Sue was the sole caretaker of her parents, Tom and Jane. Most Sunday afternoons, she would load up her minivan with all the grands and take them to see their great “Gramps” at the nursing home. She went above and beyond to make sure all the necessities were taken care of for her aging parents.

Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence & Bertha Smith and Tom & Jane Oldham; by her younger brother, Stevie Smith, whom she loved dearly and often told stories of him to her daughters, who were both very young when he passed suddenly. Sue was also preceded in death by her life partner, Bill Nall.

Surviving are her children Sonya Gilliland (Allen), April Craven (Billy Needham) and Jennifer Nicholson (John). Also surviving are her grandchildren – the lights of her life – Garrett Craven, Seth Gilliland, Callie Craven and Carlie Anne Nicholson. She also leaves behind special friends of many, many years, cousins, her caring neighbors and her church family – all of them she loved deeply.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested memorials be made to Carbonton Community Church Cemetery Fund and can be mailed to 5442 Goldston-Carbonton Road, Goldston, NC 27252.