Susan Mary Smith Grisham

Susan Mary Smith Grisham – May 4, 1948 – October 20, 2026

Susan Mary Grisham, known affectionately as Suz, Suzie, and Sue, passed away on October 20, 2026, in Naples, Florida, from complications caused by cancer and a number of infections. She was 78 years old. Born on May 4, 1948, in Berkeley, California, Sue was the daughter of Robert Boston Smith, known as Bob, and Mary Ann (Tebbe) Smith. A gifted athlete from a young age, she attended a Catholic all-girls boarding school on a full tennis scholarship, then went on to earn an undergraduate degree in education from Whittier College, again on a full tennis scholarship. She later completed a master's degree. Doug met Sue February 10th and asked her on a date that same day. Their first date was February 13th of their junior year of college. They were engaged next month by March 17th. They were married May 30th. They enjoyed a long and enduring love. They exchanged outward signs of affection until the day Sue died. Their love, commitment and intentionality was one for the books. Sue viewed loving her husband as a way to love God. They were married 57 years at the time of her passing. Over the years, Sue was a tennis pro and coach to Jane (Jarosz), a seventh grade teacher, worked at a seminary, where she helped create their children's preschool program, and she and her husband, Doug, served on staff with Young Life in Flagstaff, Arizona. Together they enjoyed dabbling in real estate, flipping houses, managing rental properties, and she listed homes for friends. Doug and Sue were married 14 years before they were able to have children. She dedicated every minute to her kids. She was a homemaker for many years. When she became an empty nester, she joined Curves for Women to exercise and share the gospel. Soon after, she owned several Curves franchises where she loved the women and shared Jesus with them. Sue's faith was the heartbeat of her life. She was devoted to her church and to Bible study in every form. From creating neighborhood Bible studies to leading groups with Bible Study Fellowship. Some of her favorites were Kay Arthur's Inductive Bible Studies with friends and the time she read the Bible cover to cover with her husband, daughter, and granddaughter through the YouVersion Bible Project Study. Above all, Sue was an intercessor in prayer. She prayed daily for each member of her family. She hosted weekly prayer meetings for decades and was known to regularly and spontaneously pray on the phone with friends and family. She had a child-like faith and always had complete trust in her loving Father God. Those who knew Sue remember her boundless optimism, her gratitude, and her smile. She always found the silver lining, never spoke an unkind word, and never complained. Gentle and agreeable in nearly everything, yet she turned fiercely competitive the moment a game began, happy to beat even her four year old grandchild… She loved tennis, pickleball, ping pong, bocce, cribbage, mahjong, bridge, and every card game imaginable. She did not have a weakness for social media or television but loved games like sudoku, Pac-Man, and Tetris. She treasured nothing more than hours-long phone calls with friends, her children and her grandchildren. She and Peter had a nightly phone call to catch up and pray at 8pm. Sue loved to travel, especially anywhere warm with an ocean. She loved dolphins and shells and the sound of waves. She honeymooned at Disneyland and delighted in trips to Oklahoma to see her grandchildren. She volunteered faithfully, from church service to food banks, operation Christmas child, and at the Bread Basket. She loved the thrill of a good garage sale, and crafted beautiful keepsakes from the shells she collected. She is survived by her beloved husband, Douglas Lee Grisham; her daughter, Jane Anne Treat, husband Brian; her son, Peter Douglas Grisham and her grandchildren: Emilyne Taylor, Kate Anne, and Clara Rose Treat. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bob and Mary Ann Smith. A service celebrating Sue's life will be held Saturday, October 24 at 1:30pm at Family Church, 1450 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island, FL. In Sue's honor, we ask her Christian brothers and sisters to pray and seek an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone this month. Memorials may be given in her honor to Samaritan's Purse (plan to pack a shoebox this year!), Mendenhall Ministries, Family Church, or Young Life.