- Date Of Birth: May 25, 1928
- Date Of Death: March 20, 2018
- State: Georgia
Margaret Sue Settle Royal, 89, of Newnan, Georgia, died peacefully on March 20, 2018. Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Willis and Florene Settle and her sister, Catherine Settle, and her husband of 49 years, Robert Royal. Sue was born and raised in beautiful New Smyrna Beach, FL. She graduated from New Smyrna Beach High School and attended Wesleyan College. It was during her time at college that she met and fell in love with Robert Royal. The two made their home in Newnan, Georgia. Sue was a stay-at-home mother, busying herself with matters of the family and home. Throughout the years, she was active in Brownies, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, NHS Cougar Parents, the Junior Service League, playing bridge and The Reading Circle. Newnan First United Methodist Church became the center of the Royal’s family life, with Sue teaching preschool for over 25 years, as well as serving as church pianist, Sunday School teacher, Cherub Choir leader, leader in Vacation Bible School, the women’s circle and Disciple Bible Study.
She served on the Administrative Board, the Finance Committee and the Memorials Committee for many years. Sue was a pillar of the church. She was an accomplished pianist, often playing for residents of local nursing homes, as well as playing for church activities. Sue was an inaugural member of the Friendship/Martha Fuller Sunday School Class. She loved music. She loved to dance. She loved her friends. And she was greatly loved by all who knew her. Sue loved family history, especially her lineage from Kentucky back to Europe. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She could tell you about almost everyone’s family history. She enjoyed making connections between relatives spanning generations. Dinner conversation usually centered around who was married to whom and who grew up where, etc. Family meals were frequent. Up until the last few months of her life, the family would gather for Sunday Lunch.
Sue was an excellent cook. No one ever had to settle for a store-bought birthday cake. Sue was an intellectual lady. She loved learning. She was a student of the Bible and grounded firmly in her Methodist Episcopal roots. She would have made John Wesley proud! She may have known more about being Methodist than he did. She had a strong faith. In the last days of her life, she found comfort by singing to herself the hymns of her faith, from the Cokesbury Hymnal. Sue enjoyed reading – she loved studying the Bible and US history. She kept her mind sharp with books, puzzles, and Sudoku. She was a list-maker, a planner and always on the go. Sue Royal is survived by her daughter, Susan Pierce, sons, Danny Royal (Jeanne), Stewart Royal (Jane), and David Royal (Beth); her beloved grandchildren, Ted Pierce (Angela), Courtney Haynes (David), Suzy Royal and Mimi Royal; and her beloved great grandchildren Lili Haynes and Maggie Haynes. Surviving cousins include Betty McKay Sharp, of Louisville, KY; Damon Settle (Gail) of Huntsville, AL; and Renee Shubigger of Longview, TX.
In addition to her family, Sue is survived by many wonderful friends in her church, this community and beyond. Love of God, love of family and love of her church, along with a strong sense of duty were central to Sue’s life. She will be missed, but she lives on in the lives of those blessed to have known this remarkable woman.
