Obituaries

Sue Raasch August 12, 1942-May 17, 2022

Martha Sue Ellis Raasch died at her home on May 17, 2022, from complications of a stroke in March. A memorial service will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 322 West Pecan Street on Saturday, June 11 at 11 am.

Sue was born in Dallas, Texas on August 12, 1942, to John and Effetomye Ellis. She graduated from W. H. Adamson High School in 1960 and then attended the University of North Texas, where she graduated in 1964. While at North Texas, she was a member of Alphi Phi Sorority, was a Campus Beauty and she met her future husband, Doug Raasch.

Immediately after graduation, Doug joined the Navy and Sue stayed in Dallas and started teaching school. While he was on a short leave from the Navy, they were married on December 20, 1964, in Dallas. The Navy life took them to many states, including Florida, California and Texas. After the Navy, Doug started his career as an airline pilot with Delta Airlines, and they lived in Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas and finally settled in Sherman. During this time, her son Jeff was born in California and her daughter Maren was born in Dallas. She earned her master’s degree in Humanities from Texas Woman’s University and she continued to teach school off and on and ended that career as the Journalism teacher at Sherman High School in 1991. After she stopped teaching, she worked part time for CASA of Grayson County for a few years. After this, she and her friend Susannah had a booth at Touch of Class Antiques for about 15 years.

During her almost 50 years of living in Sherman, Sue was involved in many organizations and clubs. She was involved in The League of Women Voters, many tennis leagues, Friends of the Sherman Public Library, Democratic Women of Grayson County, where she won The Ann Richards Award, Hagerman Wildlife Refuge, where there is a trail named after Doug, Grand Central Station Soup Kitchen, Tuesday Literary Club, Sherman Antique Club, CASA of Grayson County, The Salvation Army of Grayson County, and many more. She was a long-time member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, where she was active on several committees and a member of their book club. She was very involved in Jeff and Maren’s school PTA’s, always volunteering and would often be the loudest one cheering them on from the stands during their many sporting events!

Sue loved to play tennis, garden (their gardens were of epic proportions), read, be in the outdoors, listen to Elvis, James Taylor and Willie, drink wine, cook and travel. Since Doug was an airline pilot, the family was able to travel extensively and she and Doug developed a fondness for the Pacific Northwest, where they had a condo after he had retired from Delta. Once she became a grandmother to Alex, she was always there to take him on adventures! They had a special and close relationship, and we know how much she would have loved seeing him graduate high school this May. After Doug passed away, she became a Master Naturalist and was a member of the Blue Stem Master Naturalist group. During the pandemic, she and her friends Gloria, Susannah, Nana and Betsy, met weekly in a local park for lunch, laughs and comradery. She and Doug also had a special group of friends known as the Dinner Club and these friendships are still around today.

Sue is survived by son, Jeff Raasch and his wife Haley, daughter, Maren Doherty and her husband Michael, brother, George Ellis and his wife Anne, sister-in-law, Jan Schronk and her husband Stacy, nieces and nephews and her MOST favorite grandson, Alex Doherty.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Foundation, Parkinson’s Voice Project, or American Stroke Foundation.

You may sign the online guestbook at www.Dannelfuneralhome.com.