March 13, 1956 - July 25, 2026
Sue Jane Sullivan was born on March 13, 1956, in Colorado City, Texas, to Guy Lloyd Sullivan and Lillie Mae McCleskey. She attended Snyder High School, where she was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1972 State Champion volleyball team. She graduated in 1974 and continued her education and athletic career at Abilene Christian University, where she was a member of the volleyball team all four years. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 1978.
Sue Jane had a calling to teach, and she answered it. Shortly after graduating from college, she began her esteemed career as an educator at Borden County I.S.D. During her four-decades-plus tenure at B.C.I.S.D., Sue Jane taught English, Spanish, social studies, and government/economics. She also served as a class sponsor and driver education instructor for many years. She coached countless students to the UIL State Academic Meet, many who went on to become state champions. In 2006, she received the UIL Sponsor Excellence Award from the UIL State Office. Her dedication to her students – whom she lovingly referred to as her “wombats” – lives on in the trophy cases at Borden County High School in the form of photos, plaques, trophies, and medals, many of which would not be there had it not been for Ms. Sue Jane Sullivan. She had a creative way of engaging students in the classroom, whether that was through the door prizes she collected during her travels or through the wiffle ball games she organized on baseball’s opening day.
Sue Jane retired from Borden County I.S.D. in May of 2019; however, as the lifelong learner she was, she knew she could not stay away forever. She returned to the school to serve as a UIL Academics Coach and Consultant from 2022 to 2026. Her most recent state championship was in May of this year.
Sue Jane knew the power words carry, and she wielded this power skillfully as a writer. She co-authored the book One Hundred Doses in 2005 and served as a columnist and journalist for several local West Texas newspapers throughout her career. Her columns were filled with her characteristic wisdom and wit, highlighting the lessons to be found even in the smallest interactions with others. Sue Jane particularly enjoyed covering small-town sports. Her car earned many miles traveling to volleyball, baseball, basketball, and football games of small schools in the area. She also loved sending handwritten letters, postcards, and colored pictures to the people she loved, offering encouragement and appreciation in good times and bad, in handwriting recognizable to many.
She was also deeply interested in the knowledge and preservation of history. She served as a Charter Member for the Borden County Museum Historical Committee beginning in 2012. She was an avid museum-goer herself, and she made intentional stops on her many road trips to read historical markers. She found her own ways to honor the past, whether with her students in the classroom or with her family on the farm where her mother was raised outside of Rotan, Texas.
Despite her many accolades as teacher, writer, and historian, these were far from her favorite titles. Her favorite roles were those as mother, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and best of all, “Pearl” to her three grandchildren. Sue Jane taught her daughters, Julie and Emily, the value of a handwritten letter. She unleashed her competitive side at her family reunions, which she had arranged to be a series of competitions honoring family members who had passed. She rushed home from school trips to make it to her grandchildren's birthday parties, and her road trips were meticulously planned with routes that allowed her to visit as many family members, friends, and former students as possible. She loved her people well, something she was constantly encouraging others to do.
Sue Jane passed away peacefully on July 25, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas, surrounded by family and confident in her salvation. She was a light to all she came across, seeing and loving each person exactly for who they are. She had a gift for finding space for everyone, and her gentle touch made those around her want to be better. She leaves behind a legacy of love that will continue to touch the lives of many.
Sue Jane was preceded in death by her parents, Guy and Lillie Sullivan, and her sister-in-law, Mary Sullivan.
She is survived by her daughters, Julie Michelle Allison and Emily Rebekah Rollins (husband Zachary); her siblings, George Scott “Scotty” Sullivan, Sara Lee Dodd (husband Tim), Michael Shane Sullivan, and Sabrina Anne Blankenship (husband Kelly); her grandchildren, Lillie Jane, Ellie Ann, and Eddie Joe Rollins; nieces Hayley Conger, Kassidy Johnston, Katie Joiner, and Hannah Sullivan; nephews Christopher and Michael Dodd; many great-nieces and nephews; and hundreds of students, colleagues, and friends, all of whom will strive to carry on her legacy of love.
There will be a Celebration of Life at 11 a.m. on August 1, 2026, at the Borden County I.S.D Auditorium in Gail, Texas. A visitation will follow, per Sue Jane’s request, with homemade ice cream and fellowship. Any community members who are willing to bring a freezer of ice cream to the BCISD cafeteria kitchen before the service would be appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund will be formed in Sue Jane’s honor, with details to come at a later date. In addition, Sue Jane would be the first to give a shout-out to anyone who wanted to support the Borden County Museum.
Written by Madi Cole Skiles & Katie Gray, her former students