Sue was born in Harrisonburg, VA., in 1948. She died peacefully in the hospital on 21 March 2025 after an extended stay.
As a child, she was a quiet girl, but in high school her outgoing, happy, loving spirit came out. She sang in the choir, participated in school musicals and plays and was a friend to many. She was Miss Victory and a spirited member and Vice President of the Pep Club. It was here that she met and courted a captain of the football team, her future husband, Tom. While waiting for him to finish college, she worked in retail and as the cashier for Alfred
Neys clothing store. She and Tom were married June 21st, 1970. Shortly thereafter they moved to Newport News VA where she became a loving mother to Andy and proud NASA wife.
She was an active volunteer. While Andy was in elementary school, she was a room mother, member of the PTA, teacher’s aide and part time substitute teacher. During his high school years, she was a pseudo room mother (source of cupcakes and teacher’s aide) and Ways and Means chairperson for the Band Boosters, and energetic cow bell ringer. Sue was asked to be a member of the first Newport News Citizens Police Academy (NNCPA) and served several terms as the President of the NNCPA Alumni Association. With her ability to talk to Andy’s fellow officers and people in general, she became a Police Chaplain and frequent patrol ride along. As Happy, then Sparkle, the Clown, Sue visited children and senior citizen’s facilities. Sue was a member of the Virginia Triad and an active volunteer for the Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula, including two years as chairperson for their Soup Kitchen Sampler.
Sue was a dedicated member of Saint Vincent’s dePaul Catholic church. She was a Lector, an Usher, and member of the Parish Council, including serving as Chairperson. She taught youth Sunday School, sponsored new youth and adult members, refurbished the antique Nativity Scene, volunteered in the Back Door Kitchen, chaired several Fall Bazaars, participated in Passion Plays, co-sponsored the senior parishioner’s group, and helped with the annual Downtown Christmas for the needy. She also served as a charity auctioneer for Saint Vincent’s and Our Lady of Mount Carmel churches.
With her outgoing, happy, loving spirit, Sue never met a stranger. She loved cruising, traveling, and Shag dancing, where she could make lasting friends of strangers, and going to plays and concerts, where she could talk to those around her and to the performers backstage and ask for autographs. She was in a local Peninsula Community Theater (PCT) play and became a PCT and Ferguson Cener for the Arts patron. Sue enjoyed dressing herself and her husband for Halloween and other occasions. Her charisma allowed her to become a successful Tupperware dealer and eventually, a manager. Sue loved going to Chincoteague Island for the scenery, the ponies, and to talk to people. She helped a teenage stranger buy a pony at a Chincoteague Pony Penning auction. She was a member and eventually President of the Ocean Villas II Homeowner’s Association Board in Nags Head NC. Sue loved children, often stopping to smile, wave, and talk with them anywhere and everywhere. She enjoyed membership in Christopher Newport University’s LifeLong Learning Society, again meeting new people, and where she talked her husband into taking a Ukulele class and was instrumental in forming the Ukulearners , a.k.a. the Silver Strummers.
Sue brought energy and joy to her activities. She loved to play cards and other games with friends, excelling at Pictionary, Charades, and Trivia Pursuit. She looked forward to traveling to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with friends and family, particularly spending time at her modular home on the Sound side. Three of her favorite trips were to Irland with friends, where she got to kiss the Blarney Stone, to New York City, where she had a front seat for Disney’s “The Lion King” on Broadway, and to Italy where she visited the Sistine Chapel. She tried many crafts, particularly acrylics painting and ceramics, winning a ribbon now and then. Sue loved to cook, collect cookbooks, and share food and cakes with others, including pursuing a wedding cake hobby as “Cakes by Sweet Sue”. She also received an Honorable Mention for the 1996 The Spirt of Betty Crocker Contest. She has been known to pull the arm of a slot machine or place a table bet occasionally at Atlantic City NJ, Dover DE, or on a cruise. Sue was a Yankee fan, having attended several Spring Season games in Tampa FL. She was also a Disney fan, collector, and believer in “the magic”, and a lover/believer in Santa Claus and the spirit he represents. If you asked her, “What’s your favorite color?”. She would answer “shiny” or “sparkle”, but everyone knew it was lime green.
Sue was predeceased by her father, Hugh Daniel O’Donnell; mother, Hazel Waggoner O’Donnell; brother, Hugh Daniel (Danny) O’Donnell II (Gail); sisters, Catherine Lou (Kitty) O’Donnell and Deborah (Debbie) O’Donnell Juliana (Tom).
She is survived by her husband Thomas Alexander (Tom) Shull; her son Thomas A. (Andy) Shull, Jr. (Holly), three grandsons, Thomas A. (Alex) Shull, III, Tyler Andrew Shull, Tanner Alan Shull; nieces Sheila (Nene) Antonnicola (Maurizio) and Erin Lucks, and many long-time dear friends and family.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on May 3° at 2 pm at Peninsula Funeral Home in Newport News with visitation to follow. Dress casually and share fond memories. Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting www.peninsulafuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, donation can be made to the American Diabetes Association.
30 Comments
Sue was a cousin by marriage, but she was a special cousin. Always up for adventure. She was happy and always telling funny stories about Andy. She was life of the party. Pat and I will miss her.
Sue was such a vibrant happy person. I loved when she came to the attorneys office. The stories and conversations we had. Tom and family, my deepest sympathies. She will be remembered with love, fondness and a smile.
After reading Sue’s obituary, I can’t imagine what was left on her bucket list. More than any other person I’ve known Sue truly lived in the moment. Her main concern seemed to be making those around her feel accepted, respected and valued. Kathy and I will miss her smiling face. Condolences to Tom, Andy and grandsons.
Any contact with Sue brought a smile to my face. An example to all of us, she cared about the things in life that truly matter.
So sorry for your family’s great loss. Sue was always nice to every and her personality shone like a star! I knew Sue in high school and know she must have been a super mother and grandmother!
God Bless Tom and the family. She will be greatly missed.
Sue was a wonderful person her whole life! You could never be sad or unhappy around her because if you were, she would do her best to make you change.
Love to Tom and the family,
Jane Acker Neubauer
Tom, you and all of your family have my sincere condolences on the passing of Sue. She will be missed by many.
So sorry to hear about your loss. Prayers for you and your family. Enjoy the wonderful memories of the wonderful times you all sharred together. Thanks for sharing.
We will miss sweet Sue strumming but have a feeling she’s organizing something far greater than what was here, counting off dots to some Irish folk songs!
Tom….Sue was Great Person and will be remembered that way. Condolences to You and Family. I am Kathy Judy’s Sister and I read that You and Sue got married on My Birthday in 1970……..the Year I graduated from HHS!!!
Oh How I wish I had known her! Say Hello to God now that you’re in Heaven🎶
I will miss Sue, I have only been around her a short time compared to others.
I remember as a kid we would visit her, Tom, and Andy around Thanksgiving, sometimes during summer, etc. She was loving, sweet, and had the most infectious laugh.
I always had hoped to meet her again at the beach house so she could meet my son Oliver. It never happened, but life happens. She would have loved him as much as she cared for me.
May she rest in peace and later be reunited with family and friends. Love you, Sue.
Sue was always larger than life, I afraid to tackle any interest or challenge and make it her own. Sincerest condolences to her family. I shall miss her ray of light.
So sorry for your loss. WHAT a great person she was, I know she will be missed.
Sincere condolences are sent to Shull family from The Gaskill’s. I’ll miss Sue’s bubbly personality and smile. Heaven has another Angel.
So sorry for your loss. She was a bright light. I first met Sue at Added Dimensions, a retail store where I worked in the now-defunct Coliseum Mall. When she came into the store, there was never a dull moment. She was a sweet lady. I am blessed to have known her.
Tom and family,
I read Sue’s lengthy and loving obituary today and I wish I could have known her. Your memories relate a truly wonderful, happy, outgoing, giving, selfless woman. Her life was definitely well-lived and I’m sure she is being rewarded in her final resting place. It will be my honor to celebrate her life with your family and friends and enjoy the music of your Irish ukulele serenade. Blessings to you and your family.
Sandy Kerns
Tom and family,
I read Sue’s lengthy and loving obituary today and I wish I could have known her. Your memories relate a truly wonderful, happy, outgoing, giving, selfless woman. Her life was definitely well-lived and I’m sure she is being rewarded in her final resting place. It will be my honor to celebrate her life with your family and friends and enjoy the music of your Irish ukulele serenade. Blessings to you and your family.
Sandy Kerns
Tom – Charlie Chenault here in Harrisonburg. My deepest condolences on a life well lived. I grew up with you and Susan at HHS. She was the epitome of high school spirit and hard work. We also had the pleasure of attending Blessed Sacrament together. I never saw her that she did not yell at me and give me a hug if I was in reach. Her entire family was instrumental in Harrisonburg spirit and she led the way. I was so sad when. You all moved away, but what a life you have had. My warmest regards to you, your son and your grandchildren. Susan is now with her Heavenly Father.
In remembrance and prayer – Charlie Chenault
My sincere condolences to Tom and the family on the loss of sweet Sue. I met her through NASA where I worked with Tom. She always had a smile on her face and was ready for any challenge. She made the most wonderful dinosaur cake for my daughter’s birthday so I can attest to her baking skills. I’m so glad she got to enjoy grandchildren. Her obituary should inspire the rest of us to perform some service in her name. Well done Sue. You were truly sparkle.
A beautiful obituary for a beautiful soul….. I am sure she will be missed by many.
Dear Tom and Family, I feel that one of those brighter spots in our lives has disappeared. I don’t know many folks who met/knew Sue who did not go away feeling that they had known her practically forever. I remember her and a couple fixing me up on what was to be a blind date, only to find out that I knew the girl and the two of us falling for each other hard, and then her leaving town for a dream job. But those few months civilized me again after two and a half years in Asia part of which was in Vietnam. Sue also gave me a piece of advice when she found out I was going to work for Endicott Johnson (Merit Shoes) and that was not to let the job kill you, like it did my dad. I took that advice, got back into college and ended up being an Engineer for the Department of the Army. Last time I saw you guys was one of our class reunions. I am saddened that I will not be able to be at the services this Saturday, but I have another commitment one I cannot duck out on. Love to all of you!
Andy Shull so, so sorry hear of the loss of your mother. I remember when she would come to the Police Department events. She always had a big smile on her face and was always happy. Praying God’s strength for you and your family. Losing a mom is not easy, but know that one day you will see her again, be blessed
Dear Tom,
I write with my deepest condolences for your loss of Sue. She was a remarkable woman, and you did a masterful job of writing her obituary. She obviously had a deep passion for life and lived it to the absolute fullest. Some of what I read brought back great memories, but there was so much that she accomplished that I was unaware of! I wish that I was blessed with her energy and her diversity of interests. After reading her obituary I paged through the 1966 HHS Yearbook. She wrote the nicest message in my yearbook, ending it with “Always Smile!”
I am so sorry that I will not be able to attend the Celebration of Life tomorrow due to an out-of-town family commitment.
Best wishes in this difficult time.
John Wells
After not seeing Susan for probably
30 years, I saw her at Belk in Nags Head. I recognized her & she recognized me. She had not changed a bit. Susan was jovial & uplifting.
You would have thought we had just
seen each other the day before. After catching up on the last 30 or 40 years,
the ladies I was with came looking for
me. I had been gone quite awhile.
It was a joy to see her & catch up.
I had no idea we lived so close. I have been in Virgina Beach for many years.
Susan was always so much fun. She will not find a stranger in Heaven!
I ❤️you Babe!
My deepest sympathies and prayers. I was in Tupperware with Sue and really enjoyed her spirit. I am sorry that I could not attend the funeral. My husband’s funeral was on Thursday, May 1st and I was not quite ready to attend another one. I also lost my brother in PA on March 30 who was Sue’s age. Please know that she will always be remembered.
Tom, I am so sorry to hear of the death of sweet Sue. We were not close friends, but I always received a big smile and a hug. We met in choir at HHS and I will forever remember how cheerful she was and friendly to one and all. Big hugs to all of your family.
Sorry to know of the loss of such a joyful person, we were fellow members of Faye LaBelles’ art class at the Newport News Midtown Center….the group was like a religious experience, enjoying creating our art skills and caring for one another. Great Joy in Heaven as she enters Gods’ Kingdom.