Sue Carolyn Sumpter Cook

Sue Carolyn Sumpter was born in Roanoke, VA on June 26, 1941, to the late Dallas Vance Sumpter and Ruth Frantz Constantine Sumpter. Her family moved to Alexandria in December 1941 and Sue graduated from George Washington High School in 1959. Four years at Madison College resulted in her BA in Education.
Following college Sue taught in Fairfax County, VA where she served as chairman of her department for several years. During that time, she married Charles William Cook who was born in PA but grew up in Washington, D.C. Sue left teaching a year before they moved to Germany for Bills new Army tour of duty. She volunteered for the Red Cross while there and loved seeing as much of Europe as possible.
When they came home from Germany, Bill retired from the Army and Sue changed careers to become the secretary at her church. After ten years she was asked to become the Office Manager at Annandale UMC. She became a Certified Church Business Administrator through Union Theological Seminary while there and retired in 2012 after twenty-five years.
Singing and playing the piano were two of her life-long loves, and she sang in her school choir as well as her church choirs. She retired from the adult chancel choir after more than fifty years as an alto.
Growing roses and iris in her garden was very rewarding. She learned to enjoy sailing and had many wonderful and adventurous cruises with Bill mostly in Chesapeake Bay and once in the Virgin Islands. She also enjoyed serving on dozens of church committees throughout her life including serving as a trustee and an Alexandria District delegate to the VA Annual Conference.
Family was always the most important part of Sues life, and she was blessed with loving parents and a big sister, Nelle Frances, who was her idol. Then she gained another amazing family when she married Bill.
Sue is survived by seven nieces and nephews, Vance Whittaker (Leslie), Donna Charlson, Barbara Whitlow (Darry), Dawn Linton (Glenn), Christine Cook, Jessie Hiett, Jackie Matthews (John), and many great and great-great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Major Charles W. Cook, her parents, her sister and brother-in-law Frances and Tuck Whittaker, and her nephew Tom Whittaker.
A Celebration of Her Life is being planned at the Washington Street United Methodist Church, 109 S Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314 on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 11:00 AM. The services will be livestreamed on the church website.
If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Washington Street United Methodist Church, https://wsumc.com/give/ways-to-give/
or the Annandale United Methodist Church, https://annandalechurch.com/giving
Celebration of Life
Washington Street United Methodist Church
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Starts at 11:00 am (Eastern time) To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Sue, please visit our Tree Store.