Susan Louise Kelly-Rush

My life on earth has taken me across many shores. I have traveled to many places and enjoyed many wonderful people throughout my life.  I’ve lived an exciting and full life during my seventy-seven years on earth. As you celebrate the end of my life’s journey, I pray that each of you will find comfort in knowing that a loving and compassionate God knows what’s best for each of us.    We've shared many memories, countless hours of laughter, and so much love, so keep these memories within each of your heart and minds.  Life has a joyful beginning but sometimes it can be a painful ending for those loved ones we leave behind. I don’t want my exit from this life to be painful for any of my family and friends, so begin each day with my contagious smile. The joy that I brought to this world began on October 13, 1946, in Charleston, South Carolina. How amazing it was when God blessed my parents, Isaac and Dorothy Robbins Smalls with a beautiful child who they named Susan Louise Smalls. Being educated in the Charleston County school system provided me with a strong educational foundation. I later graduated from C. A. Brown High School in Charleston, South Carolina.

Susan Louise Smalls was united in holy matrimony with Jimmie L. Rush on June 20, 1984, in Bronx, NY. Their union was blessed with six children. She accepted Christ as her personal Savior on March 23, 1989, and was united with Soundview Avenue Baptist Church, Bronx, NY serving as a Choir member, Trustee, Deaconess, and Pastor’s Aide. She was also employed by the United States Postal Service as a mail handling clerk for thirty-one years and nine months and a member of the American Postal Workers Union. Upon retirement from the USPS in October 2001, Ms. Susan Louise Kelly-Rush moved to Saint Marys GA. Shortly thereafter, the Holy Spirit led her to join Young Zion Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Pastor Quan D. Glover. She served in many capacities during the past 23-years to include the Prayer Ministry, President of Deaconess, Pastor’s Aide, and Women’s Sunday School Teacher.

There were many things that Susan enjoyed doing but most of all she enjoyed studying and reading the bible, watching, and reading Western novels, coloring, and collecting horse and angel figurines and spending time with Cocoa her pet Shih Tzu.

God never gave anyone, the power to determine when their earthly time is over. Susan Louise Kelly-Rush departed this life on June 14, 2024. She was preceded in death by her mother, Dorothy Robbins; father, Isaac Smalls, Sr.; brother, Isaac Smalls, Jr.; sisters, Patricia Ann and Sandra Smalls.

She leaves to cherish her memories: her husband, Jimmie L. Rush; children, Tamanthel (Rev. John) Fields, Jr., Madison (Aaron) Grey, Jason (Nikitta) Rush, Isabelle Rush, Kanice Rush, Jimmie Rush, Jr.; grandchildren, Kellie Fields, John Fields III, Christian Rush and Carter Rush; brother, Richard (Ruthie) Smalls; sisters, Willamae (Harold) Johnson, Kim (Isaac) Simmons and Demetria (Theodore) Drayton; sister-in-law, Joyce Smalls; godson, Clarence (Cynthia) Robbins and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.