Susan Kay Kearbey went home to be with Jesus on Nov. 8, 2020 at age 70.

Susan was born to Vernon and LaVerne Penning on Sept. 17, 1950 in Alton, Illinois. She grew up in Festus, Missouri, with her four siblings: Kerry, Holly, Marcy, and Kelly.

Susan met her husband, Raynard O. Kearbey in 1966 at Festus High School in Missouri. After seven years of dating, from "going steady" in high school to being promised in junior college and then engaged in college, they married immediately after they both graduated. Just days after Raynard finished his Architectural thesis, he hitchhiked all the way home from Kansas State to marry the love of his life.

They married on Aug. 3, 1974 and went on to have three children, Ryan (son), Kyle (daughter), and Eryn (daughter). As a family, they lived in San Antonio, Texas for 3 years (1979-1982), DeSoto, Missouri for 12 years (1982-1994), and then Ovilla, Texas from 1994 to present.

In addition to being a dedicated and loving mother and grandmother (a.k.a. "Gam Gam"), Susan was an incredible teacher and touched the lives of so many children beyond her own. She was a second grade elementary school teacher for over 30 years, retiring in 2015.

Outside of teaching, her passions were cooking, gardening, reading, shopping, and traveling. When she wasn't at a grocery store, she was testing out a new recipe or reading a good book by David Jeremiah, Randy Alcorn, Terri Blackstock, Bodie & Brock Thoene, Joel C. Rosenberg, Mary Huggins Clark, or Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins (a few of her favorite authors). She had a green thumb like no other, with the special ability to make any plant grow and flourish. Susan was well-traveled, having been all over the world, from Jerusalem to New York to Prague to Seattle. She loved to shop and was always on the hunt for thoughtful gifts. She spoiled her grandchildren with clothes, books, cards - simple little things to make them smile and know they were dearly loved.

Throughout her life, she held an unwavering faith in God, even amid her painful battle with cancer. Her relationship with Christ was "the number one" (a phrase she always used) priority in her life and she made it her mission to spread His word, which she shared with those who surrounded her.

Susan joins her mother LaVerne and father Vernon in Heaven. She is survived by her husband Raynard Kearbey; her children Ryan Kearbey (spouse Theresa Hill), Kyle Huffman (spouse Jim Huffman), Eryn Kozelichki (spouse Luke Kozelichki); and her five grandchildren Matthew, Ian, Eva, West, and Wren.

Visitation: 11/13/20, 4-6pm. Service: 11/14/20, 9:30am. Both at Bear Creek Baptist Church 1810 South Hampton Road, Glenn Heights, Texas. Interment to follow: Waxahachie City Cemetery.