Sue Ellen Tully Ipson
Obituary
Sue Ellen Tully Ipson was born in Salinas on Feb. 28, 1941, to Llewellyn Edward Tully and Ellen Ione Tully. She had no siblings. She grew up in King City. She spent much time with her two sets of grandparents in Bitterwater. In her early years, her greatest joy was gathering cattle with her father and grandfather on the Tully ranch, and then crossing the creek and visiting her other grandparents at the Oswald ranch. She attended King City elementary school and graduated as salutatorian from King City High School in 1958. She was active in Girl Scouts, Rainbow Girls, and as a cheerleader; in 1957, she was the Hostess of the Salinas Valley Fair.
Sue graduated from the University of California in 1962. She met her husband, Daniel Andrew, in a Spanish class. They were married for 61 years. She secured her teaching credential and taught in Goleta for a year before taking time out to raise a family.
She and her husband had two children - Steven Edward and Ellen Marie. She devoted her life to her children, trying to give them experiences of all types that would help them in life and demonstrating what one could accomplish if they put their mind to it. The family lived in King City when the children were young. When the kids were little, she put Ellen on the front of her bicycle and Steve on the back, got the dog and went to the King City Park. She won a blue ribbon at the Salinas Valley Fair for her lemon meringue pie and mentored Steve on how to make the pie. She took the children on many hikes at the Tully Ranch.
The family ultimately moved to Salinas, where the children grew up and she and her husband lived for 52 years. She helped with school activities for her children when they were growing up. She also took care of the many family pets. They also enjoyed many vacations at Huntington Lake in the California Sierras.
She served as a Girl Scout leader for Ellen's Girl Scout troop for several years.
Sue volunteered in their classrooms at Spreckels School and attended Salinas High School plays and athletic contests. The family attended Cal football games and Oakland A's games. With the children in high school, she returned to teaching.
She taught in the Salinas City School District for over twenty years, most of the years at Natividad School. She loved teaching and the interaction she had with students. She was a kind person who had good values. She touched countless lives and there are many former students who live in the Salinas area who are now adults and still remember her.
She has three grandchildren - Tully Cannon (age 21), Brooke Cannon (age 19), and Grace Ipson (age 16). She thought the world of her grandchildren.
Upon retirement, Sue and Dan traveled to Spring Training and the Grand Tetons. She launched a new career as a grandmother, which proved to be most satisfying. She baby sat, cooked special dishes that they liked, hosted all holiday festivities and attended school activities as she had with her children. She regularly made sandwiches for a homeless shelter.
She instilled the values of honesty, integrity, and kindness in all that she did.
Sue would like to thank Dr. Yoneda, her physician of some 30 years for his dedicated care, and Dr. Aziz and his staff for his care of almost 20 years. Additionally, the family is deeply appreciative of the services of the Infusion Center for the last eight months and the Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System hospital staff for their tender care for the last 11 days of her life.
She had suffered since 1996 from a blood disease that in 2022 worsened into leukemia. She passed away on Sept. 3, 2023, while hospitalized in Salinas. She spent her last 11 days hospitalized and her husband was at her side every day.
Services are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Church of the Good Shepherd on 301 Corral de Tierra Road in Salinas.
Donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Monterey Agricultural and Rural Life Museum.
Online condolences to www.struveandlaporte.com
Published in King City Rustler · September 12, 2023