Jesusa McVarish

Jesusa ‘Susie’ Tellez McVarish, a teacher from Kermit, Texas, passed away on Wednesday, 30 November 2022. She was a devoted mother and professional teacher. During her long career, she taught every grade level from kindergarten to high school.

Susie grew up in West Texas. She was a good student and attended college at Sul Ross University where she earned a bachelor’s degree with honors. She started her career working for the civil service as a teacher on the Navajo reservation in Chinle, Arizona. In 1965, she married Stephen Leon Leroux who was also a civil servant for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They started a family and had two sons, Mark Stephen Leroux, and James Brian Leroux. The family moved to Dale City, Virginia in 1970 where Susie continued working as a teacher and mother. Despite a busy schedule, she found time to earn a master’s degree in Education from George Mason University.

They moved to Beaverton, Oregon in 1981. After 17 years of marriage, Susie and Steve divorced. Susie moved to El Paso, where she meet her second husband and fellow teacher, Arthur Frederick McVarish. They lived in Houston until Arthur’s passing in 2019. In 2020, she moved to San Antonio where she could be closer to her son.

Her life was devoted to both family and career. She embraced the challenge of being a mother, wife, homemaker, and career professional. She loved her sons deeply and encouraged them to focus on their education. Additionally, she inspired her sons to follow the teachings of the Catholic faith.

Susie is survived by her sons Mark and Jay, six grandchildren, and her siblings, Otto Tellez, Maria Watts, and Hope Lucero.

Memorial services will be held Wednesday, 11 January 2023 at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. Services will be followed by a reception at St. Mark’s Church in the Shalom room.