Sue Reed passed away peacefully on April 9, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. Sue was a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, and caring friend to all who knew her. Sue was born on November 14, 1941, in Alabama to the late Eugene Luther Camp from Center, Alabama and Linda Hood Camp from Collinsville, Alabama. She was the youngest of three children and attended school at Old Shell Road School and graduated from Murphy High School in 1960.
After graduating from Murphy, Sue attended the University of Montevallo in Birmingham, Alabama, where she met Charles Thomas Burton, and they married on May 4, 1962. They lived in Birmingham while he finished medical school, and then lived in Texas and Tachikawa, Japan, and finally established their home in Decatur, Alabama.
Sue was a devoted wife and mother. Her time and energy went to raising her family and caring for her home, friends, and church. She had a great sense of fun, positivity, and a contagious smile. She loved music, art, volunteering, and reading. She also loved running, water skiing, and traveling. Charles and Sue had three children, Rebecca Burton Biller, Kimberly Burton Gleaton and Paul Anderson Burton.
In the kitchen, Sue was a master. She shared her love through cooking ranging from Southern to Japanese, along with wonderful pound cakes and desserts. She was also a master with anything to do with needles and threads, from crocheting, tatting, knitting, and even delicate hand-sewn items for her home, family, community, and friends. She loved by keeping her hands busy. Her mother was a quilter, and she took what she saw her do and made it her own.
In 1983, Sue reestablished her home in Mobile, Alabama, as a single mom where her parents and sister lived, and she thrived. She returned to school to complete her undergraduate degree and continued to achieve her Master’s in Psychology from USA South. After completing her Master’s Degree, she worked as the Clinical Supervisor at BayCare. After Baycare, she worked with Dr. Herlihy’s Psychiatric Clinic. Her resilience, strength, and courage were never more present than at this time in her life. She lived by example of how to face challenges and move through them.
At a Murphy High School Reunion, she met her future husband, Timothy Martin Reed, and they married on November 28, 1992. They shared a love of family, friends, and travel. They traveled the world together, Hawaii being their most special destination, and they returned many times.
Sue was a beloved grandmother and shared her love through her special talents. For her grandchildren, she made French hand-sewn gowns, knitted sweaters, baby caps, baby bibs, and blankets of all kinds -- the list was endless. The generosity of her spirit was always present, and her creativity and talents were vast.
She lived a life of strong faith. She loved her church, Ashland Place United Methodist Church, and her church community. In June of 2009, Sue started the Prayer Shawl Ministries and a group of women formed who knit and crochet shawls, robes, and baby blankets. They pray for the unknown recipients, bless and pray over these items, and share those with people in need of God’s loving care. She knitted with Prayer Shawl Ministry at Dauphin Way Methodist Church as well. She shared her love through the “busyness of her hands” spreading God’s loving embrace in the way she knew how to do, with friends, knitting needles and a loving spirit.
How blessed we were to have her in our lives, touched by her wit, grace, kindness, and endless love. Her memories will be with us forever. We will miss her tremendously, as her support, cheerfulness, devotion, and guidance were always a constant in our lives.
Sue is preceded in death by her beloved son, Paul Anderson Burton, brother Marcus Eugene Camp, mother Linda Hood Camp, and father Eugene Luther Camp. Sue is survived by and will be most remembered by her family including her husband Timothy Martin Reed, sister Sara Lynn McAleer (William J. McAleer), daughter Rebecca Burton Biller (Steven Donald Biller), daughter Kimberly Burton Gleaton (James Harold Gleaton III) and grandchildren Emily Biller Robinson (Joel Robinson), Clair Gwendolyn Biller, Lillian Camille Gleaton and James Harold Gleaton IV and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family.
The outpouring of love and support of family, friends and church community was a testament to God’s love for Sue and we are grateful.
November 14, 1941 - April 9, 2024
A memorial service will be held at Ashland Place United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 11:00 am.
