Sue Ellen Shepherd

Mrs. Sue Ellen Via Shepherd, age 83, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, passed away peacefully Friday, September 19. She was born June 28, 1942, in Roanoke, Virginia.

Sue was raised by her loving parents, James and Nadine Via, with her little brother, J.D. She met Paul in high school and loved being the girl running around with all her guy friends, which included Paul. While their love didn't kindle right away, they began dating, eventually marrying in 1964, and began planning a long and happy life together.

Sue and Paul ventured out and first moved to Mobile, Alabama, and soon found themselves in Terre Haute, Indiana, where they welcomed their first daughter, Lisa Dawn, in 1966. They eventually moved to Soddy Daisy, and four years later, they welcomed another baby girl, Sheri Leigh, to the family. They welcomed their youngest daughter, April Nicole, to the family in 1973, when they were finally able to buy their first house together in Middle Valley.

Sue had her work cut out for; she was faced with the dubious honor of raising three wildly different daughters. She poured into her girls their whole lives. She would teach them how to be strong little girls, young ladies, and, ultimately, grown women. She might not have loved cooking, but she always made sure her family had hot meals. She and Paul may not have been wealthy, but she always made sure the household budget was balanced and spread as thin as it could be. She sewed clothes for her girls, cooked hot meals for the family, used lay-away like a champ, and perfected the ability to clothe her daughters on the cheap, when they each were very specific about their wardrobes.

She gave endlessly to her family and still found time to fuel her own passions. Sue was a creative spirit and would try her hand at many things in her life. She and Paul were well known in the Amateur radio world, and she eventually pursued her own licensed. She was supremely proud when she earned her Advanced HAM Radio license and was honored with a very rare, 4-digit call sign, N4ND. She and Paul spent decades with this community and were regulars at ham fests, making life-long friends in Tennessee and North Carolina and thousands of ham operators around the globe.

And, never forget her talented side as an artist. She loved to paint with oils and eventually watercolors. She discovered glass and found a love making stained glass pieces, decorative plates, and bowls, and even jewelry. She and Paul found themselves enthralled in another hobby they could enjoy together-wood turning. Together, they made dozens of custom pens, bowls, and a few special deer.

She had a great love of flora and fauna alike. If you were around her for very long, she would undoubtedly rattle off some detail about an iris or hydrangea, a dogwood or oak tree, or a katydid, bird, or deer and elk. She really loved animals of all kinds. She was also an amazing momma to all her own pets and the many grand-dogs and grand-kitties that her daughters and grandkids have kept around. She appreciated so many of life's greatest things and worked hard to share that knowledge with anyone willing to listen.

And then came camping; she loved to camp. Starting in an old canvas Army tent, then a pop-up camper, and, from there, a series of bigger and bigger pull-behinds until camping was no longer 'roughing it'. She was happiest in the Great Smoky Mountains but managed to visit 48 states with Paul and a camper.

From HAM clubs to Jeep clubs and bridge clubs; bowling leagues to crocheting and painting. She lived and learned. But none of this took away from her girls. She was a devoted mom who poured into her daughters. She celebrated their every win and held them through every fail. She advocated for them fiercely and taught them to speak up and show up. But, ultimately, she gave them love, comfort, warmth, and lots and lots of patience. She walked them through marriages and childbirth and left a family who stands taller and stronger on the foundation she built.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Paul Lee Shepherd and survived by her three daughters, Lisa Dawn Head, Sheri Leigh Yother, and April Nicole Cox. And you couldn't have found a prouder Nanny, who found great joy in the adventures of her grandkids Kristina Leigh, Elizabeth Ashley, Michael Anthony, Brittney Michelle, Dillon Colt, and to her first great granddaughter, Erin Leigh.

The family will receive friends Thursday, September 25, from 11 AM to 2 PM at Williamson & Sons Funeral Home at 8852 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379. The funeral service will be held at 2 PM, also at Williamson & Sons Funeral Home. Following the chapel service, a short graveside service will be held at Chattanooga Funeral Home, 5401 Hwy 153, Hixson, TN 37343.

Flowers will be accepted, or donations may be made in Sue's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Condolences and memories can be shared at www.williamsonandsons.com.

Arrangements entrusted to Williamson and Sons Funeral Home, 8852 Dayton Pike, Soddy Daisy, TN 37379.