Susan Dallas Grubbs

Grubbs, Susan Dallas-age 50, passed away peacefully at her South Knoxville home, with her husband by her side, on Friday, October 19, 2007, after a courageous battle with cancer. Susan spent her entire career in the service of others both in her professional and private life. Initially, working in women’s health as a clinical nurse practitioner, for a fledgling Thompson Cancer Center Mammography program, where she even drove the Mobile Mammography Bus to many remote locations throughout East Tennessee which at the time was the only way rural women had any hope for access to this invaluable screening tool. She was one of a core group of Nurse Practitioners serving women at Planned Parenthood of ET and also served as an instructor for UT’s FMP program, all the while championing women’s health issues…throughout her all too brief life. A volunteer from an early age, she served as a candy striper during her teenage years at Holston Valley Community Hospital in Kingsport. As an adult she has served as a Girl Scout troop leader for over 12 years during which time several of her Girl Scouts received their Silver and Gold Awards. In addition she served as the South Knoxville Service Unit Coordinator for the Tanasi Council, for nine years. Susan’s fight and love of life was evidenced when even after completing a chemotherapy session an hour before could not keep her from her duty as “cookie sergeant” during the GS cookie sales. She would go straight from a chemo session to help dispense a truckload of cookies to individual troop leaders or work with troop leaders on what seemed to be insurmountable issues. She was born August 24, 1957, in Kingsport, Tennessee, and grew up in the community of Colonial Heights. She graduated from Sullivan Central High School in Blountville, Tennessee, where she was valedictorian, senior class president, and yearbook editor, among other honors and activities. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Microbiology from the University of Tennessee in 1979, and a Master’s degree in Nursing at UT in 1986. She was an animal and nature lover, film enthusiast, recreational pilot, and horseshow mom. She was preceded in death by her father, Dr. John L. Dallas. Besides her husband, Dale and daughter, Amelia, she leaves behind her mother, Sue C. Dallas of Kingsport; grandmother, Erna M. Carrell of Charlottesville, Virginia; uncles, aunts, and cousins; sister, Nancy C. Dallas and her husband, Charles Cheney of Hartselle, Alabama; brother, John S. Dallas and his wife, Dara, of Arlington, Texas; and their children, Jim, Jesse, Madison, and Jonathan; sister, Donna D. Balliet and her husband, David of Norcross, Georgia, and their children, Dallas and Dana; brother, William S. Dallas and his wife, Julie and their children, Caitland, Emma, Will, Nicholas and Ben; best friends, Billie Freeman and Alvin Johnson; special friends, Michelle Strunk and Kelly Trott; the “Rawbitzers” from the UTKNS class of 86 and neighbors of Ailsie Drive. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council, 1600 Breda Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37918 or to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 5401 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919. A celebration of life service will be announced at a later date. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 PM on Monday at Berry Funeral Home, Chapman Highway. A guestbook and additional information is available at www.berryfuneralhome.com and you are invited to share your thoughts and memories of Susan at her memorial website at www.MeM.com