Susan Matthews Pond

Our beloved mother, Susan Matthews Pond, joined our dearly missed father, David Martin Pond, on January 30, 2021, embarking on the greatest adventure of their lives.  We are so grateful for every minute we had with them both.

Mom was born on October 18, 1943 outside of Bishopville, SC on a farm owned by her parents, Virginia and Dan Matthews, joining her brother, Eugene, and sister, Wyatt.  Mom attended the University of South Carolina, majoring in chemistry and minoring in cheerleading and her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha (Go Gamecocks!  Boo Clemson! Sorry, Uncle Gene!).  Mom met Dad her senior year, when he was in his first year of graduate school.  Dad was lucky enough to arrange for their first date by bribing Mom’s roommate.  After they were married, Mom and Dad moved to New York City so that Dad could do post-doc work at Columbia University.  Mom completed training and worked for IBM.

In 1970, Mom and Dad moved to Kingsport when Dad accepted a position at The Eastman.  They initially lived in the Cabana Apartments and then moved to Colonial Heights, welcoming three children:  Alycen (1972), Anne Linton (1975) and, the great disappointment of 1977, David.  (Just kidding.  He actually turned out pretty well.)  Mom began working for The Eastman as a systems analyst until her retirement, transitioning to a limited time employee when we were in high school, so that she had more flexibility to drive by Borden Park to see if any of us were laying out.  Luckily, we (Anne) were never caught.

Mom enjoyed so much about life: tennis, altar guild, wedding planning for First Broad Street United Methodist Church, DAR, Bear Den, Book Club, Garden Club, Bridge Club, Supper Club, an Investment Club (clearly she liked clubbing!), and the annual Christmas trip she took with the ladies in the family to NYC.

She was also gracious and kind and strove to be a proper role model for us.  We never heard her say a curse word until 1987-ish when she dumped an unbaked cake down the back of the oven.  (If there was ever a time to curse, that was probably it.)  She also loved spending time with friends and family and staying for weeks at her cherished Tree House at Pawley’s Island, SC. 

Mom was an incredibly strong, independent lady and she was determined to live her life according to her own path.  We are thankful she could until she couldn’t.  We are grateful to Brandie Hatfield for her role in Mom’s continued independence in her last year.

Mom was preceded in death by many loved ones:  her parents, Virginia and Dan Matthews, her sister, Wyatt Moore, her brother, Eugene Durant Matthews, her brother-in-law, Mocus Moore, and her mother-in-law, Flora Pond.  Those remaining are:  Alycen and Steve Nigro, and their children Sam and Cate; Anne and Ryan Hendrickson, and their son Haskell; David and Brooks Pond, and their children Daniel and Nick; sister-in-law, Annette Matthews; brother-in-law Steve Pond and wife Johanna; nieces and nephews: Gene and Beth Matthews, and family; Dan and Lynn Matthews, and family; Henry and Georgie Moore, and family; Heather Pond Brey, and family; Ben and Beth Pond, and family; Jon Pond; adopted niece Angelika Senn and son Aleks; and her most cherished niece/little sister, Lee Moore.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to First Broad Street United Methodist Church, Friendship Diner, 100 E. Church Circle, Kingsport, TN 37660.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  Revelations 21:4. (from the King James, not the New International…See we listened, Mom!)