Sue Pentecost

ATHENS, Ala. — Sue McEwan Pentecost departed gently Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, at her home in Athens, surrounded by her children and husband.

Sue was a cherished wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend. Born Minnie Sue McEwan on July 30, 1947, in Rosslyn, Kentucky, Sue's life was a tapestry of dedication, love and resilience.

Sue graduated from Leesburg (Florida) High School in 1965. She furthered her education at University of Missouri-Columbia, where she studied accounting.

Sue spent many years in Cape Girardeau, raising her children and actively supporting local organizations. She moved to Marion, Illinois, and created a legacy of friends and a business before retiring, with her husband, to Athens.

Determined and hardworking, Sue founded Target Marketing in 1992, a national, full-service advertising agency that won numerous awards, including multiple ADDY awards — the world's largest competition, with more than 50,000 entries each year. She is remembered for her strength, wit, perseverance and empathy.

Sue was a founding member of the St. Louis chapter of Women Presidents Organization. She was a long-standing Rotary Club member in Cape Girardeau, Marion and Athens, and was a Paul Harris Fellow.

Sue also built an impressive volunteer career alongside her professional one. For 15 years, she served as a children's advocate with CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) of Williamson County, Tennessee, and on the board of directors of Ten by Three (formerly The Blessing Basket), empowering artisans around the world by connecting them with a global marketplace.

She served on the board of directors of the Marion chapter of Habitat for Humanity. She served on the board of Otahki Council of Girl Scouts of America and as president of Cape Girardeau Junior League. Sue was also an active member of Zonta International, a service organization dedicated to empowering women.

Sue was a magician in the kitchen; family favorites were chateaubriand, cheese grits and biscuits and gravy and fried chicken. She loved the opera and symphony, and served on the board of Cape Girardeau Community Concerts. She loved her roses and gardening and ran a test garden for Jackson Perkins in Cape Girardeau, as well. She was a member of Order of the Eastern Star.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Frances Richards McEwan, and brothers and sister, James, Donald and Alex McEwan and Carolyn Thomasson.

She leaves behind her loving husband and best friend of 26 years, Ted Pentecost of Athens, with whom she shared a life filled with love, support and mutual respect. She adored him, and he adored her, for which her children are grateful.

Her children, Stephanie Lind and William Clevenger, and stepson, Chris Pentecost, will carry her legacy of kindness, strength and unconditional love. Sue was a beacon of guidance and support in their lives, always there with a listening ear and a helping hand.

Her grandchildren, Jackson Clevenger, Maximus Smith and Nikita Smith, brought immense joy and laughter into her life. She cherished every moment spent with them, and her influence will undoubtedly continue to shape their lives in the years to come.

She is also survived by her brothers, Patrick, Travis and Robert McEwan, and sister, Elizabeth Ann Bauman, as well as nephews and nieces, Don McEwan, Maura McEwan, Jarrod McEwan and Lauren McEwan.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hospice of Limestone County in Athens — www.hospiceolc.org. The caregivers were instrumental in supporting Sue and her family through the last difficult months and provided extraordinary compassion and professionalism. The family owes tremendous gratitude to nurses Lauren and Traci especially.

Her life will be celebrated Sunday, Jan. 14, at First Baptist Church of Athens, where friends and family are invited to share memories and honor her remarkable journey.

Sue McEwan Pentecost will be deeply missed, but her light will never fade.

Spry Funeral Home in Athens is in charge of arrangements.