On the evening of July 7, 2022, Susie peacefully passed away surrounded by her loving family.   Born on April 16, 1937, Susie was the second child of Dewey F. Sturdivant and Marie Wingate Sturdivant.  She grew up in Sparta, North Carolina, and later moved to Independence, Virginia.  She was preceded in death by her parents.

Susie is survived by her husband, J. Colin Campbell, the love of her life, whom she married on July 11, 1959.  She is also survived by her three children and their families:  Julie Campbell Dudley, and her husband Haden and their son Ivo; John C. Campbell, Jr., and his wife Donna, their son John Colin Campbell, III, daughter Tori Harmon Carrico and her husband Tyler and their son Jackson; and Cathy Campbell Key and her husband David.  Other surviving family members include Susie's brother,  Franklin Sturdivant,  sister Mary Jane Tesh (Jack), sister-in-law Jane Campbell (John Dicks), nieces Jackie Tesh Stout (Mike), Nancy Sturdivant, Beth Sturdivant, and Janie Sturdivant, nephews Bryan Tesh (Sarah), Mark Graves (Holly), Eric Graves (Pat), Dutch Sturdivant, and Frank Sturdivant. Also surviving Susie is her special cousin, Mary Katherine Tomlinson Messer and husband, Ken.

Susie, defying her father's wish for her to attend Wake Forrest, attended and graduated from Duke University with a BA degree in education and minor degrees in French and music.  She became a teacher for the Grayson County school system.  Over the course of 11 years of her teaching career, she taught reading and special needs children.  Her final years in education were spent doing her favorite thing, teaching fourth graders.  Susie then opened and operated her own business, New River Title Insurance Company, with a branch in Independence and a branch in Abingdon.  She served on the Board of Directors for Wytheville Community College and was on a special committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors to ascertain the feasibility of building a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Independence.   As a result of her work with the committee, Grayson Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was built in June 1988.

An artist at heart, Susie loved to play the piano, created beautiful paintings, wove expertly crafted baskets, prepared delicious food, hosted memorable parties, sewed clothes, curtains, and as she was proud to say, "finally finished the big green and white quilt."  She was an avid bridge player from her college days onward, would play Scrabble into the wee hours of the night with family, and demonstrated her competitive spirit on the croquet court.  She and Colin enjoyed many fabulous golf trips with J&B Scramble, a close group of fun-loving friends.

A fighter and a pint-sized warrior, she is a 26-year survivor of stage four breast cancer, survived and two other forms of cancer later in her life, and survived a heart attack.

Susie and the family found great comfort provided by the caring people from Senior Home Share, Access Physical Therapy, and Mountain Valley Hospice.  Their genuine and gentle care of mom was phenomenal.

The family will receive friends at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home in Independence at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 10, 2022.  A graveside service will follow at 3:30 p.m. at the Independence Cemetery.

Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home in Independence, Virginia is serving the Campbell Family.