Patricia "Sue" Austin

Sue Austin passed away peacefully in Traverse City on the morning of June 23, 2025, surrounded by the love of family and friends. She was 81. Sue was born on August 25, 1943, in Bridgeport, Texas, to Ona Faye and Bennet Benoit Abercrombie. As an only child, she developed a vivid imagination and a flair for creativity that colored everything she touched — from her career to her wardrobe to her friendships. She earned her Master of Social Work from Louisiana State University and began her career of service at Acadiana Mental Health in Lafayette. In 1978, Sue loaded three young boys in a packed car and drove north through a snowstorm, landing in Lansing, Michigan and eventually Traverse City. There, she continued her career in community mental health and later rose to leadership in home health care administration. That harrowing winter drive became family legend — Sue calming her children’s fears while keeping her own quietly in check. After her sons left the nest, Sue returned to the South, serving in hospital human resources in Baton Rouge and later as Senior Director of Recruitment and Retention at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. After a dramatic evacuation from Hurricane Rita — and surviving many hurricanes before it — she decided it was time to retire early at 62 and returned to Traverse City. In retirement, Sue became even more vibrant. She was an active member of her church, a beloved member of the “Aged to Perfection” troupe at Old Town Playhouse, and a fixture in the thrift store circuit, where she found treasures and joy in equal measure. Sue’s generosity, quick wit, and unmistakable warmth had a way of lighting up every room she entered. She brought people together with laughter and made strangers feel like old friends. Beneath her vibrant personality was a deep and unwavering devotion to her family — a love that shaped her choices, her stories, and the way she showed up every day for those she cherished most. Sue is survived by her three sons: Todd Andrew Atkins (Beverly Ball), Mitchell Clayton Atkins (Jody Morgan), and Marcus McLellan Atkins (Sarah). She was lovingly known as “Grandy Sue” to her grandchildren — Andrew Atkins, Savannah Ezelle Atkins, Cecilia Elizabeth Atkins, Elise Lily Atkins, Ellajean Lyric Atkins, Emelia Bennett Atkins, Eliya Marilyn Atkins, Josey Evangeline Atkins, Cyril Danger McInerney, and her great-granddaughter, Georgia Elizabeth Atkins. A memorial and celebration of Sue’s life will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in the Garden Tent at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Memorial donations may be made in Sue’s honor to the Old Town Playhouse — a place she adored and enlivened: https://purchase.oldtownplayhouse.com/Donations Or by mail to:148 E. Eighth Street, Traverse City, MI 49684 Flowers will be received by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in advance of the July 19 Memorial.

Patricia "Sue" Austin

August 25, 1943 - June 23, 2025