Susan Blankenship McClendon

Susan Blankenship McClendon of St. George Island, FL passed away on November 12, 2018 at Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Susan was born on February 28, 1951 in Atlanta to Claude and Frances Blankenship. She graduated from Walker High School and later attended Georgia State University. She began her career at AT&T but later spent 15 years working for Union Oil of California, where she met the love of her life, Jim McClendon. Susan and Jim were married on February 23, 1979. Susan built a highly successful real estate career at The Norton Agency in Gainesville, Georgia, specializing in lake front properties at Lake Lanier, north of Atlanta, where she and Jim made their home. Her dazzling smile, caring attitude, and dedication to detail won her many loyal clients and lifelong friends. In 1998, Susan and Jim purchased their first property at St. George Island in Florida. Susan loved nothing better than to watch the porpoises playing in the surf from the deck of her home, or walk with Jim and pooch “Baby” on the beach, collecting shells. Her impressive collection of small white shells called “Baby’s Ears” fills bowls in both beach homes and attest to Susan’s keen eye for the beauty of nature at work on our coast. During her years on SGI, Susan honed her skills as an artist, working in watercolors and pastels to create joyful representations of the world around her. Her generous spirit led her to give many of her creations to fortunate friends. She especially enjoyed painting with the group of “Snowbird” artists who arrive on the island each winter to paint area scenes and study with visiting professional artists at the island’s Sea Oats Gallery. Susan and Jim were Lifetime Members of the St. George Lighthouse Association, where they joined with other islanders in a commitment to rebuild the iconic Cape St. George Lighthouse, which fell in 2005. Susan and Jim’s loyalty to this mammoth project led them to participate with a group of lighthouse enthusiasts who worked weekends to clean the old mortar off thousands of original 1852 lighthouse bricks that were then used in the reconstruction of the historic lighthouse. Susan’s dedication to the restoration of this important facet of local history was an inspiration to all her fellow volunteers. Summers found Susan and Jim at the family getaway in Slapout, AL where pontooning, water skiing, jet skiing, visiting with friends / family, and just sitting on the screen porch watching hummingbirds at the feeders filled many glorious days. Susan loved to cook, especially at Slapout, whether it was ribs on the grill or a pot of Brunswick Stew. Thanksgiving feasts and New Year’s celebrations at her and Jim’s house were legendary. Susan was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her loving husband and devoted caregiver, Jim; sisters Francie, Claudia and Rebecca; brother Robert; and hundreds of friends who will miss her big smile, loving heart, and warm hugs. A memorial gathering will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to one of the following: Big Bend Hospice Foundation, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32308; Dana-Farber Breast Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168; Franklin County Humane Society, 244 US Highway 65, Eastpoint, FL 32328; St. George Lighthouse Association, 2-B East Gulf Beach Drive, Saint George Island, FL 32328. David Conn of Bevis Funeral Home, Harvey Young Chapel in Crawfordville, Fl is assisting the family. (850-926-3333 or www.bevisfh.com).

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Susan Blankenship McClendon

February 28, 1951 - November 12, 2018