Suzon Storrie Leath was born on November 15, 1930 and on Jan 31, 2020, went to stand in the presence of our heavenly father, after spending the last 4 years at The Right Place, a group home in southern Denton, where she was cared for by Emmanuel and Rachel (the owners), Janice RN from hospice, and a host of other players.

Her name is pronounced as though spelled "Susan".  My mother said that the fancy spelling of her name was the fashion at the time, in imitation of European names.  My grandmother, Kathleen Bates Storrie, had a dashing sister Susan, who travelled to Europe, representing the American Wool Council in the 1920's or so, and this may be how Grandmama got the idea.

Suzon was born to Robert C. Storrie Jr and and Ora Kathleen Bates, whose father, Ed F. Bates, was mayor and historian/legend writer for Denton in the early 1900's.   What I know about Suzon mostly came from my childhood, but I had the privilege to know her much better in the last 4 years.  That's when her husband, Neal Leath, also a Denton High School graduate (Go Broncos!) died.  He told me that he couldn't live if she died first, because he loved her so much.

My earliest memories of Suzon included visiting her and her daughters (Linda and Karen) along with my grandparents at their home on Egan Street.  I remember a fold-out couch (very high tech) in the dining room on which Karen and Linda slept, and that Aunt Suzon had her own room.  And that the girls' cat, Lindy, shredded my grandmother's curtains by climbing up them.  I never questioned why my big girl cousins and Suzon lived with my grandparents;  they just did.

Suzon was daring, modern, carefree - she stopped by often to visit Mama (we stopped calling her that when we became teenage cool) smoking cigarettes and laughing.  Often, she'd order, "Let's go for a Coke!" and my little brother and I would have to go along since we were too little to stay home alone.  We sat in the back seat, while Suzon drove to that drive-in on south Elm Street (now a used car lot) or to Sonic on Highway 24.  back then, there weren't any lids on the drinks, and at Sonic, a tiny plastic animal was placed on the rim of each big cup.  These brightly colored, infinitely detailed animals looked like jewels or riches to David and me - but we never got an animal OR a drink:  we were simply captives in the back seat, witnessing the trip.  People are more indulgent of their children these days.

Back in 1962, my grandparents, girl cousins and Suzon moved to a fancy new house at 1205 Emerson Lane.  There I remembered that Suzon had a pretty cool car - one with a radio antenna on the back bumper that looked like an angel's halo on a tall stick.  As a kid, I didn't understand much about that, but when Neal died and I had to clean out their house, I found stacks of "QSL" cards - cards that documented when radio enthusiasts made contact with each other from far, far away.

During more recent years, I learned that Suzon was a big-time line dancer, and Neal would tell me about their standing reservation for a front row table at Billy Bob's.  Suzon and Neal were very kind to my parents later in life, nd especially to my dad (her only sibling) after our mom died.  They brought him dinner every Wednesday and gave him the comfort of shooting the sh** with people he might still remember.  Eventually, I learned that Suzon was a teacher and had a master's degree in education, and was generous to her neigbors and other needy people.  I never met Charlie Flippo, the guy she had her kids with, but I found his wallet, ID, watch, etc. in their home after Neal died.  He'll always be a mystery.

When Neal died in 2016, Suzon's care fell to me.  She enjoyed chocolate ice cream, Dr. Pepper, and visits from anyone.  Her old high school chum, Bill Bell, came to live at The Right Place also, and they shared a few years together, perhaps reminiscing when they could.  Amazingly, she retained her ability to read out loud long after she stopped making sense.  Regarding her spirituality, I have but one memory of seeing Aunt Suzon at church with the girls (at the "new" First Presbyterian Church on University & Hinkle) but I remember cousin Linda being an angel in the living Nativity tableau over at our old church behind Russell's Department Store, because she had to sit up there on the roof!  Our little red rock church, which reminded me of a castle, was torn down to make the parking lot across from Sweetwater in 1966.  Anyway, I have asked Aunt Suzon at least twice if she loved Jesus, and each time she gave a resounding answer, "YES!"  That's why I believe she is now standing in the presence of our holy God, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. She passed peacefully with my brother Rob at her side.

She has two daughters, Karen Flippo of Denton and Linda Flippo Donaldson (husband Brad) of California.  She has two step-adults, Michael Leath and Alicia Leath.  She has a few Storrie cousins remaining, and her niece (me, Cecile Storrie) and my brothers (Rob, John and David Storrie).  We're having a graveside service at 3:30 PM on Saturday, Feb 8 at I.O.O.F. Cemetery in the heart of Denton.