Susannah "Susie" Patrick Maddux

My mother, Susannah Patrick Maddux, left this world unexpectedly on the morning of April 7th at her home in Riverside, where she had spent the last twenty-five years, and where she also spent many of the first years, of her full and happy life.

Born at the height of the Baby Boom, in 1951, Susie, as she was known, was as well-suited for life in a town like Columbia as anyone ever has been. She spent 29 years employed by the Maury County government in public-facing roles, and would've had it no other way. I believe I never met another person who enjoyed socializing as much as my mom. Some of her favorite things to do were catch up with old friends, make new acquaintances, and introduce new acquaintances with old friends. She loved nothing more than for me to invite friends to her house, and was always right at the door to greet them and catch up. It was not until 2020, when public interfacing ground to a halt, that she chose to retire from her role as Chief Deputy at the Register of Deeds office, but she never stopped meeting and greeting.

She was a follower of the Christian Faith her entire life, however, this was particularly emphasized in her last seven years after becoming a member of the Bigbyville Methodist Church. She became deeply involved with the community she found there and was profoundly touched by the love that flowed from it. We often spoke on Sunday afternoons, and she would always have much to say about the happenings at the church, and I know that her life felt much more complete and she found a deeper, more meaningful human experience through Jesus Christ.

Hers was a true creative spirit, which I myself inherited and for which I am eternally grateful. It's difficult to think of a medium she didn't dabble in – watercolor, pottery, acrylics, jewelry, knitting, rug hooking, and others. There are homes all over Columbia and beyond which contain her stained-glass work, which she did professionally for a time. I do believe, however, that her most enduring creative love was that of gardening. Throughout her entire adult life, right up until her very last days, she would toil away in her flowerbeds, meticulously perfecting every detail to create something truly wonderful, and then excitedly do it all again the next year. Perhaps the most poignant and touching thing about my mother's untimely passing was that it happened during a time when the garden had never been more beautiful.

She is preceded in death by her father, Jerry Patrick and mother, June Patrick. She is survived by her son, Luke Maddux and his wife, Claire Maddux, sister, Gail Gilliam and brother, Kile Patrick and their spouses, Roger Gilliam and Connie Hardin. Additional survivors include nephews Patrick Gilliam and David Dodson, their spouses Sarah Gilliam and Debi Dodson, great nephew Jack Gilliam, great nieces Ivy Gilliam and Grace Dodson, beloved family friend Faye Pyland, loving and caring neighbors Karen and Jonathan Gobble and Chelsea and Wayne Cardwell, and many other dear friends and associates.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 3:00 PM at Bigbyville Methodist Church. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the church. Memorials may be made to Bigbyville Methodist Church 3894 Bigbyville Road, Columbia, TN 38401 or the charity of your choice. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.