Susan Fairbanks Miller Steffee died peacefully in her sleep on the morning of January 30, 2019.  Susan was born in Dallas, Texas to Jack and Mary Miller on November 22, 1946.  Her family moved to Tyler in 1950 where she was raised and lived until 2004. She graduated from Robert E Lee high school in 1964 where she was a Rebelette Twirl Major.  She then went on to attend North Texas University in Denton, Texas where on a blind date she met John Glenn Steffee .  They were married on August 12, 1966 at Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler and were married for 52 wonderful years.  Their marriage was a testament to their love and Christian faith, any time spent in their presence left no doubt that John and Susan were meant to be together.  Susan was an educat or for over 30 years, many as a 2nd grade teacher at Rice Elementary, and her last 12 years as the Principal of Owens Elementary.  Owens thrived with Susan's leadership and was rated "Clearly Outstanding" more than any school in the district. Susan loved h er job, the kids whose lives she touched and was especially endeared to her staff.  She was admired and well-respected by students and parents alike, but the teachers at Owens were her very favorite part of being a Principal. She was constantly thinking of ways to support and spoil them.  She and John were long time members of the West Erwin Church of Christ in Tyler, active in all aspects of Sunday School and service. She retired in 2002 and in 2004 she moved to Cypress, Texas to be closer to her daughters , Kimberly and Michelle.  In Cypress she was an active member of her churches, West Houston Church of Christ, where she helped set up and run a Mothers Day Out program and eventually Spring Creek Church of Christ.  In recent years she became a regular volu nteer at Cy-Fair Helping Hands.  While all of these things kept her busy and involved, it was her granddaughters, Eliza and Taylor, that became the love of her life.  They were the center of everything she did from supporting them in sports and events, to planning special trips with them. But her favorite pastime was simply spending hours with them and being a part of their lives. Susan was known by a lot of names; wife, mother, teacher, Principal, friend, but without a doubt her favorite title was Grandmom my .

All of these words in black and white can tell you about Susan Steffee , but anyone who knew her will affirm that words will never do justice to the life she lived.  She was a loving and supportive wife, a selfless mother and an adoring grandmother.  H er friends will tell you, there was no one like her, a constant giver of her resources and time, you rarely heard the word, no, from Susan  She loved to travel with John and friends, but really loved to be home with her family.  Whether it was cooking, or playing games, or shopping, or watching football - she loved to be with people and they loved to be with her.  She could make you laugh like no other, and we will all hold on to the hundreds of memories she was such a central part of creating.  We know she is happy to see her parents and Jackie again, and this sustains us through our grief.

She is survived by her husband, John Glenn Steffee , her brother Ricky Miller, her sister-in-law Debbie Miller, her daughters Kimberly Hellums and Michelle Bellomy , her son-in-law, Charles Bellomy and her granddaughters Taylor Hellums and Eliza Bellomy .  She is preceded in death by her parents Jack and Mary Miller and her brother, Jackie Miller.