Suzann Blair Brawley
1952 - 2023
Suzann “Blair” Brawley passed away on May 12, 2023 at her home in Winston
Salem, NC following a long illness. She was the granddaughter of the late Robert
Montgomery and Christine Rutledge Rickert and the daughter of Clinton Pharr
Brawley and Jean Rickert Brawley of Statesville, NC. She grew up in Statesville
and received degrees from Mitchell College and University of North Carolina-
Charlotte. Blair later received her master’s degree from Oregon State University.
She was predeceased by her parents, her stepfather, Andrew N. Cowles,
stepsister, Sallie Cowles Strauss, uncle Robert M. Rickert Jr, and aunt Johnny
White Rickert. She is survived by husband Steve Kale, stepsister Eloiese Cowles
Murray (Robert), brother-in-law John Frank Strauss (Bonnie), and cousins Michael
and Pat Rickert. Also surviving are three nephews, one niece and ten great
nieces and nephews.
Most of Blairs adult life was spent on the west coast living in California and
subsequently Bend, Oregon where she taught at Sisters Academy and Central
Oregon Community College from which she retired in 2017. Following retirement
Blair and husband Steve moved back to North Carolina.
Blair was adventurous, upbeat, and optimistic throughout her life. She loved
teaching, camping and hiking, live music and dancing. She was a sweet and
caring person who always tried to make life better for everyone she came into
contact with. The world will be a poorer place with her not in it.
The family would like to thank Trellis Supportive Care and home health care
specialist Jessica McCoy for their compassion and service.
A celebration of life will take place at a later date where her ashes will be
scattered in her beloved mountains of Oregon.
So sad. I just found this obit…I knew here when she would spend time up here in Blowing Rock. In fact, I vividly remember the first time I laid eyes on her. I was a teen-ager working at the soda shop on the corner of Sunset and Main in Blowing Rock. I saw a pretty teenager with waist long wavy blonde hair, wearing a longish floral skirt, getting out of a car. I thought to myself…that’s a hippie chick! The first one I remember seeing! She would have parties up at the house on Chestnut, the one that was once owned by the Colt family, and invite many of us local kids up. Very memorable times to a young teen during the Age of Aquarius. We reconnected on FB decades later. Last year, my account was hacked and I lost connection with hundreds of friends including Blair. It was in trying to “friend” her today with my new account that I realized that there had been no recent posts. I googled her name and, sadly, found her obituary. She was a good one…and gone too soon, but will always remain in memory as the “first hippie chick” I ever saw. Condolences to her friends and family.