Billie Sue Hunter Harper

Sue Hunter Harper gracefully passed at her home on February 23, 2023. Sue was born on February 18, 1932, in Chattanooga, TN, but spent most of her adolescent years in Dallas, TX. In 1948, Sue’s parents brought her back to the Chattanooga area, and she attended Red Bank High School where she met her future husband Harris Harper. Sue and Harris both graduated from Red Bank High School in 1949. They were married on February 2, 1951.

In 1967, Sue became the first employee of a new Chattanooga-based textile company called Fibron. Sue rose through the ranks at Fibron to become its Human Resources Manager, a position that she held with Fibron’s successor organizations American Enka and Synthetic Industries.

Sue was a trailblazer in the field of human resources, especially advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities. In 1985 (five years before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act), Sue was quoted as saying, “I feel that the biggest barrier [faced by individuals with disabilities] is not an architectural one, but the attitudes about handicapped people that take a long time to turn around.” During that year she served as a member of President Reagan’s Committee on Hiring the Handicapped. Sue also served on a number of other state and local organizations that supported the employment rights of individuals with disabilities.

The Tennessee Industrial Personnel Conference honored Sue with the prestigious James House Williamson Award for outstanding contributions in the field of industrial personnel management. Sue was an active member and the first woman President of the Chattanooga Industrial Personnel Club.

In addition to her work in the area of human resources, Sue Harper was also very active in many civic and educational endeavors. She served on the Board of Associates at Chattanooga State, the Board of Directors for Goodwill of Chattanooga, the Greater Chattanooga Area United Way, and she served as President of the Soddy-Daisy Chamber of Commerce.

Sue was a consummate Southern lady, always exhibiting grace and kindness. She attended Soddy Methodist Church.

Sue was preceded in death by her husband Harris Harper and her parents William and Hazel (Van Hooser) Hunter. She is survived by her daughter Trudy Harper and husband Roger Knipp, daughter Lori Harper Goforth and husband Bruce Goforth, her beloved granddaughter Paige Goforth, and countless friends and neighbors.

The family will receive visitors at the Chattanooga Funeral Home – North Chapel on Sunday, February 26 from 3:00 until 6:00, and on Monday, February 27 from noon until 2:00. Services will be held at the funeral home at 2:00 on Monday, February 27. The family requests that visitors wear a “splash” of red to honor Sue’s love for that color.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Sue Hunter Harper Class of 1949 Red Bank High School Scholarship. Donations to this scholarship fund can be made by mailing checks to the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, 1400 Williams Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408 with Memo: Sue Harper Red Bank HS Scholarship Fund, or donations can be made on-line through the Community Foundation’s website www.cfgc.org (please select the Sue Harper Scholarship Fund from the available fund options).

Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com.