Sally Sue Davis (née Thomas), of Rollinsville, Colorado, passed away recently after a long illness. She was 80 years old.
Sally Sue was born on July 16, 1945, in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, to Sarah Pack Thomas and Horace J. Thomas III. She was raised in Beaver, Pennsylvania, with her two younger sisters, Lynne Wallace Thomas and Carol Todd Thomas. A National Merit Scholar, she graduated with honors from Beaver Area High School before attending the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. She earned a bachelor's degree in Home Economics in 1967 and later completed a master’s degree in education at Temple University.
During her long and dedicated teacher career, Sally Sue taught special education for 38 years in the St. Vrain School System and the Erie School System, commuting 50 miles down the canyon and another 50 miles back each school day–often in snowstorms. She devoted her life to working with special needs and troubled youth, teaching hundreds of children, and, in time, the children of those same students. She retired in 2008.
An avid knitter and lifelong reader, Sally Sue moved to Colorado in 1973, first settling in Nederland before making her home in Rollinsville, where she lived for more than 50 years. After long teaching days, she was known for driving up into the mountains to gather her circle of dear lady friends at the Stage Stop for happy hour. There, over red wine with ice, she knit baby booties, baby blankets and other handmade gifts—quiet acts of care that reflected her deep love for children and community.
Sally Sue’s generosity extended far beyond her classroom. For more than a decade, every Thanksgiving she opened her home to anyone who did not have a place to go, welcoming friends and neighbors. Her table was a palace of warmth, belonging, and unconditional hospitality, a tradition cherished by all who shared it.
She was also a devoted fan of the Colorado Rockies. If she could not attend a game in person, she followed every pitch and play by sitting by the radio, listening intently. Her love for the Rockies was both enthusiastic and communal—she often gathered friends to attend games together and organized trips to Arizona to watch spring training. Baseball was not simply a pastime for Sally Sue; it was another way she brought people together and celebrated the joys of Colorado Life.
She married James R. Davis in 1989.
Sally Sue was preceded in death by her parents and sister Lynne. She is survived by her husband, Jim, and her sister, Carol.
A memorial service to celebrate Sally Sue Davis’ life will be announced at a later date.
