Mary Suzanne "Sue" Maloney passed away on June 8, 2023, at the age of 92. "Sue," as she was always called, was born April 27, 1931, in Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the middle child of Fred and Julia Maloney. Sue graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in 1949, from Carlow College in Pittsburgh and later received a master's degree from American University.
Independent, adventurous and a spitfire from the start, Sue left Pittsburgh in her early 20s to join Eastern Airlines as a stewardess in the 1950s. She then earned her education degree and taught school in Asmara, Ethiopia (now Eritrea), in the early 1960s, followed by a long career as an elementary school teacher and librarian in Bethesda, Maryland.
Sue never married but was a lifelong athlete and competitive golfer, tennis player and swimmer. In the 1970s, she fought to join Bethesda Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, as a single woman, which was prohibited at the time. She had to convince the Board that she wasn't joining to "steal other women's husbands" as they feared, but just to play sports. She enjoyed her membership there for many years and generously treated her family and friends to afternoons at 'the club' (quite a proud accomplishment for a single female schoolteacher to afford).
Sue's life was filled with travel, including six of the seven continents. She traveled with her mother whom she lived with and took care of, then with her dear friend Elaine Jacoby for many years.
"Aunt Sue" was a formative presence in the lives of her sister's four children: Gretchen, Tim, Jeff and Suzanne. She taught her nieces and nephews to swim, golf, play tennis and instilled a love of travel, education and reading.
When she was ready for retirement, she researched "good places to retire" and found Fairhope. She moved there in 1990, built the first house she ever owned and lived there happily for over 30 years.
The Fairhope community embraced "Miss Sue," as she was known around town, and she embraced Fairhope. Sue spent many hours on the golf course at Lakewood, at the public library, visiting with neighbors and friends in the downtown shops and restaurants (she loved the thrift shops!), and in the pool at the Fairhope Rec Center, where she competed as a Master Swimmer until age 86. In her late 70s, she took a part-time job as a hostess at the Marriott Grand Hotel and worked into her mid-80s, where her manager, Aniese Harris, grew to become one of her closest friends. Known for her unique and fun-loving quirkiness, "Miss Sue" used to entertain the guests by dancing behind the Millennium Brass Band, leading the "second line" at Sunday brunch. Needless to say, everyone knew "Miss Sue." Sue was known as a social butterfly in the assisted living home up until her death at age 92.
Sue was a devoted Roman Catholic and participated in parish life at her churches including St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Fairhope.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents; her older brother, Jim; younger sister, Patricia; and nephew, Luke. She leaves her sister-in-law Debbie; nieces and nephews, Gretchen, Tim, Jeff (Lolly) Suzanne (Dan), Andrew and Amy; and grandnieces, Christine, Caroline, Jane and Claire.
A funeral mass and reception will be held at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Fairhope on Friday, Sept. 15, at 2 p.m.
