Sue Ballard Love

Sue Ballard Love, 97, passed away peacefully Sunday night, February 18, at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home in Winston-Salem. She was born on November 14, 1920, in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Alfred Caleb and Willie Rutledge Ballard. She graduated from Paw Creek High School, class of 1939, where she met her husband, Robert Brooks Love. Sue and Brooks were married 69 years until his death in 2011. Mrs. Love is survived by one daughter, Barbara Love Geer (Ed) of Kernersville, North Carolina, and one granddaughter, Susan Frances Geer-Fickling (Joel), of Charlotte, North Carolina.

She was a faithful member of Paw Creek Presbyterian Church where she served as nursery worker, Sunday School member and teacher, Women of the Church leader, Ladies' Auxiliary member, and Go and Grow Circle member. She also cooked for many events, and always had a smile with a sweet, helpful, can-do attitude and a positive personality to match. Sue was a born-again Christian who loved the Lord and studied the Bible on a regular basis.

She was also involved in the Paw Creek American Legion Auxiliary, Woodman of the World, and North Carolina Extension Homemakers where she held many offices in each organization and was voted outstanding member of all three. Her life was also work-related in that early on she worked in Charlotte at Belk's Department Store, was hostess at Circle G Restaurant, and worked at both Charlotte Ford Tractor and City Chevrolet.

Mrs. Love was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law who was always doing things for her family and others. In addition, creativity was a large part of who she was. She loved to quilt, grow flowers, tend a garden, crochet and knit, and enjoyed “making something out of nothing” for friends, family and neighbors. She loved to travel, and her favorite place to visit was Sunset Beach where a rocking chair with her name on it sat on the front porch where she could see the ocean and enjoy the salt air with her faithful dog, L'il Bit.

When her health failed, she moved to Kernersville where she stayed with her daughter until she moved to Trinity Glen in 2015. There she participated in every activity available and was Valentine Queen two years in a row. Heartfelt thanks goes to the entire Trinity Glen faculty and staff who were always concerned for her, cared for her every need, and loved her as if she belonged to each one of them.

The funeral will be held at Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, February 21, at 2:00 pm with visitation one hour prior to the service. Rev. Elliott Hipp (Paw Creek Presbyterian) and Dr. Stephen Martin (Kernersville First Baptist) will officiate with burial at Forest Lawn West in Charlotte. Memorials may be made to Paw Creek Presbyterian Church (PO Box 64, Paw Creek, NC, 28130), Trinity Glen (849 Waterworks Road, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101), or Kate B. Hospice Home (101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103).