Sue Wilcox

Anna Sue (Reed) Wilcox, child of God, life-long follower of Jesus, faithful partner in ministry alongside her beloved husband The Rev. John R. Wilcox with whom she is now re-united in the church triumphant, gifted pastoral counselor, tireless mission advocate, devoted mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt, and cherished friend, received “the inheritance of the saints in light” on Friday, November 6, 2020.  She died gently and peacefully at the home of her daughter, Dr. Elizabeth Bisgard, supported by hospice care and surrounded by her loving family.

Sue witnessed, in life and in death, to the grace of holding fast and letting go. This grace echoes through an excerpt from a poem by Mary Oliver, one of Sue’s favorite poets:

To live in this world

You must be able

To do three things;

To love what is mortal;

To hold it

Against your bones knowing

Your own life depends on it;

And when the time comes to let it go,

To let it go.

Sue loved what is mortal.  She delighted in the “stuff” of this world:

star lit nights

visits to the mountains and the coast of Maine

global travel adventures

good food, often “audibly” enjoyed

brisk walks to begin and end each day

early morning swims

downhill skiing into her nineties (inquire for details!)

inspiring music

Sue held such mortal grace against her bones, knowing her own life depended on it, anchored as it was to the

constant love of family, church, and her Clermont Community friends

blessings of good health to the end

strong ties she maintained by means of letters, phone calls, and emails

Discipline and inspiration gleaned from daily devotions and weekly worship

And when the time came, she let it go, she let it go,

surrendering to the inviting mystery that, “in life and in death, we belong to God,

through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit yielding to the assurance that,

“the eternal God is our dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

proclaiming, in so many words, the conviction of poet Emily Dickinson:

This world is not conclusion,

a sequel stands beyond,

Invisible as music but

positive as sound.

Education was important to Sue. She studied two years at Ball State University before transferring to the University of Miami in Florida to complete a BA in Spanish. After working in Egypt for two years with the US State Department, she enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary where she met John, and graduated with her Master of Divinity. In her 50’s she returned to graduate school at The Ohio State University, earning a Master’s in Adult Education. Sue also received certification as a Marriage Enrichment Facilitator and Pastoral Counselor. All her “degrees” gave Sue a “fever” for wide-ranging mission work.

Sue’s legacy of vitality and faithfulness lives on in her sister Elizabeth Ray (Sue’s brothers, Robert and John Reed, preceded her in death); her four children:

Marysue Huckabee (Greg), George Rogers Wilcox (Marcia), Sally Leibbrandt (Bruce), and Dr. Elizabeth Bisgard; her grandchildren: John Hartford Wilcox, Reed Paul Leibbrandt, Anna Marie Huckabee, Molly Yvonne Leibbrandt, Ryan Elizabeth Bisgard, and Alexa Rae Bisgard; and a wide circle of friends.

Those wishing to perpetuate Sue’s enduring and endearing legacy may offer memorial gifts to support the following congregational, community-based, and global mission options:

New Genesis Shelter of Central Presbyterian Church, 1680 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80203, www.newgenesis.org

Metro Caring, 1100 E 18th Avenue, Denver, CO 80218, www.metrocaring.org

The Mission Agency of The Presbyterian Church (USA). https://pma.pcusa.org/donate/make-a-gift/gift-info/102/

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection and a Celebration of Sue’s life and faith will be held at a future date.

“Rest in Peace; Rise in Glory”

Horan & McConaty

https://www.horancares.com/obituary/Sue-Wilcox