Cleone "Sue" (Smith) Kay passed away on Monday, March 3, 2025, at the Comfort Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Comfort, Texas. She had been convalescing there following a brief illness. Sue was born on February 16, 1938, in Lusk, Wyoming to R. Herschel and Thea (Wilson) Smith. The family relocated to the Nebraska panhandle, where they made their longtime home in Crawford. Sue attended Crawford Public Schools for the entirety of her childhood education, graduating with the class of 1956. She attended Nebraska State Teachers College in Kearney before returning to Crawford. On September 8, 1957, Sue married the love of her life, Gordon W Kay. Two daughters completed the family, Julie in 1958 and Jennifer in 1962. The couple resided on the Kay Family Hereford Ranch near Whitney, NE before relocating to Oklahoma. After mastering the many duties of a cattle rancher's wife, Sue would enter the corporate world, both as a very successful real estate broker and then as an executive assistant and business administrator. After moving around Oklahoma with Gordon's employment advancements, the couple would eventually settle down in their home in Claremore in summer of 1978. Following Gordon's passing in 2014, Sue remained in the family home until 2023 when she relocated to the Happy H Ranch near Comfort, Texas to be near to her daughter Julie and her family. She would reside on the lovely Happy H for the remainder of her days, surrounded by family including grandchildren and great grandchildren, who gave her the name "Mama Sue" which warmed her heart beyond measure. Sue is preceded in death by her husband of fifty-seven years, Gordon, her parents, and her brother Dr. Duane W. Smith. She is survived by daughter Julie Kay Hughes and husband Bud of Comfort, TX; daughter Jennifer Lea Kay and spouse Nancy Borgstrom of Broken Arrow, OK; grandson Adam Hughes and wife Mindie of Boerne, TX; grandson Clay Hughes and wife Liz of Houston; great grandchildren Grant, Hallie, Owen and Emma Hughes; sister-in-law Joan Smith Brown of Los Alamos, NM, along with many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. Sue lit up a room with her infectious smile. She enjoyed life to the fullest, including such activities as dancing, listening to both country and big band music, attending her daughters' endless sporting events, and traveling with Gordon. She was a big sports fan and had a lifelong allegiance to her beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers, and later the Oklahoma State Cowboys. She and Gordon were active members of the American Legion in Nebraska and the Oklahoma Cornhusker Club in Tulsa. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Gaddis United Methodist Church, located at 141 US-87 Comfort, Texas on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 10:00am. A graveside internment will be held at the Crawford Cemetery in Crawford, Nebraska later this year, where she will be laid to rest beside Gordon. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Sue's memory to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America or the charity of your choice. Sue was loved by all who knew her. Hers was a life incredibly well lived, and she will be missed by many.

Funeral arrangements under the direction of the Schaetter Funeral Home

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to www.schaetter.com