Suzanne Ellerbe Parker, 82

Rockingham – Suzanne Ellerbe Parker, 82, of Rockingham passed away Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at her home.

Born August 12, 1939, in Moore County, she was a daughter of the late James Calhoun and Louise Tart Ellerbe. 

Suzanne was a 1957 graduate of Rockingham High School. She retired from the NC Department of Motor Vehicles following a 30-plus-year career and was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Rockingham. 

The matriarch of a large extended family, Suzanne loved hosting family gatherings at her Rockingham home. The biggest celebration was the annual Thanksgiving Day feast where friends and family gathered at tables set up throughout the house to catch up on the happenings of the last year. She liked nothing better than having rousing conversations with her beloved siblings. Suzanne was the life force behind these gatherings and conversations, and her voice could be heard throughout the house chiming in on everything from child rearing to local, state, and national politics. Each year she was in her element laughing, arguing or stirring the pot with all her family members, moving easily from one conversation to the next. 

While Suzanne loved her family fiercely, she was also fiercely independent. A trailblazer for women at the DMV, Suzanne was one of the first female drivers’ license examiners in the state and pushed the state to change the uniform requirements for women to include wearing pants instead of skirts. She protested in favor of and campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment, and never shied away from voicing her support for equality in all its forms regardless of the audience.  She always said she pushed against these boundaries for the women who came after her, but also to remind her own daughters and treasured granddaughter of the independent spirits inside themselves.    

Suzanne was a force of nature concentrated in a petite five-foot frame. She lit up the room when walking through the door and quickly began running the show. With her planning and sheer willpower, she and Jerry created a life together that they truly loved. Ultimately, it was this precious family life upon which Suzanne contemplated the measure of her days on this earth.  Although her days were suddenly cut short, it’s the memories she helped create for her family that will sustain them and finally bring them to a place of peace. 

A memorial service was conducted Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 11:00 am at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Allen Bingham officiating. 

Surviving, Her husband of nearly 59 years, Jerry Parker of the home; Daughters, Nicole Ard and husband Franklin of Elkin, NC, and Mandi Parker and partner Pam Smith of Wilmington, NC; Granddaughter, Parker Ard of Wilmington, NC; Sisters, Brenda Caulder and Patti Lynn Miller of Rockingham, and Meloni Bethea of Louisburg, NC; A brother, James Nicholas Ellerbe of Raleigh, NC. 

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 637 Rockingham, NC 28380 or Doctors Without Borders USA, P.O. Box 5030 Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030. 

Online condolences may be made at www.watson-kingfuneralhome.com

Watson-King Funeral Home in Rockingham is serving the Parker family.