Obituary of Sue Ellen Riddle

Sue Ellen Riddle, 82, passed away Monday, January 2, 2023, among friends and family. The daughter of James and Catherine Beavers Riddle, she was born June 9, 1940, in Talladega, Alabama. Sue Ellen was a graduate of Montevallo College in Montevallo, AL, but loved equally to cry, “War Eagle,” any time she had the opportunity. She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents, her brother, James Davis “J.D.” Riddle, and her Aunt Edna Earl, all of whom she loved dearly. Sue Ellen was employed by the State of Alabama for the Tuscaloosa Department of Human Resources for more than 30 years and served as a supervisor in the child welfare department, working in foster care where she devoted her life to bettering the lives of children in difficult and traumatic situations. She was beloved by many of them for years after she settled them in homes and schools where they could receive proper care and education. Sue Ellen and her best friend Dr. Alyene Reese, also of Talladega and a pediatrician by trade, retired to the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and found incredible purpose when they and God founded Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic, a medical and dental clinic for the indigent of Sevier County. The Clinic has served patients for more than 20 years and continues to touch countless families throughout the area. Sue Ellen attended First Baptist Church of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She loved to read, to drive the backroads of Sevier County, and she loved people, especially children. She helped whenever there was an opportunity and she changed infinite lives for the better through her work, her generosity, and her incredible ability to teach others how to make a difference when needs abounded. Survivors include her grandsons, Woods Hippensteal of Pittman Center, Tennessee, and James Douglas Justice of Gatlinburg, Tennessee; nephew Kevin Hays & wife Liz of Mountain Home, Arkansas, numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, and too many close friends to list. A graveside service will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery in Talladega, Alabama on Friday, January 6, at 1:00 p.m.; Dr. Mark Brown will officiate. A memorial service for family and friends will be held at First Baptist Church in Gatlinburg, Tennessee on Saturday, January 7, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.; Rev. Nick Moore and Rev. Gina Austin will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic, 312 Prince Street, Sevierville, TN 37862.