Sue Creighton Ashley

Rebecca Sue Sparks Creighton Ashley(aka Rebecca Sue Creighton, Sue Sparks Ashley, ‘Sparky’, ‘Mamma Sue’, ‘Gammy’) passed, in her sleep, from this world in the early morning hours of February 6^th, 2023.  She now walks and resides with her Lord Jesus Christ.

Born Rebecca Sue Sparks in Mineral Wells, Texas on August 11,1928. The daughter of Kenneth Speight Sparks and Frances Senora Sikes, Sue grew up in Fort Worth and attended North High Mount Elementary School, Stripling Junior High and Arlington Heights High School until her senior year when her family moved to Salt Lake City. Sue graduated high school from St. Mary’s of the Wasatch Academy in 1945.  She attended TCU her freshman year but graduated from University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a minor in Art.

Sue married her childhood sweetheart, Thomas (Tom) William Creighton (deceased) in 1950 and returned to Mineral Wells where her husband went into the practice of law with his father and older brother.  In 1960 Tom was elected to the Texas State Senate due, in no small part, to the tireless efforts of Sue who ‘stumped’ on behalf of her husband across the 22^nd Senatorial District, the largest Senatorial District in Texas.  Tom and Sue served 20 years in the Texas State Senate until Tom’s retirement in 1980. 

Sue received numerous acknowledgments and held many positions which spoke of her generosity and love for her community, state and country.  Some of these include election as the President of the Senate Ladies (1963-64), State Board of Fine Arts Society (1970-73), Historian of the Senate Ladies, Served on the State Board of North-Central Texas Area Heart Facilities Planning Commission (1976-77), Named “Woman of the Year” by Weatherford Junior College (1976), Founding President  of the Mineral Wells Woman’s Club (1975-76), earned her realtor’s and brokerage licenses dabbling in real estate commercial and residential development, cub scout den mother, taught elementary school, Sunday school at various levels, published a book entitled “Capital Cook Book” which became a Texas best-seller, and is in the State Archives and Library of Congress as an historical publication. She had many talents. Sue was outgoing and charming, often described as “spunky “ always ready to speak her mind. Sue loved well those who she met in life, not to mention her family and the three sons she both admired and encouraged throughout her life. 

Sue remarried Alvin K. (AK) Ashley in 1991, after knowing each other for over 40 years.  They remained blissfully married until AK’s death in 2016.

Her eldest son, Thomas William (Will) Creighton, Jr., predeceased her in 2017, as did both husbands Tom Creighton (1997) and AK Ashley (2016).  She is survived by her son, Kenneth Roy (Ken) Creighton and wife Kay McMullen Creighton, son, Mark Gregory Creighton and wife Mildred Cook Creighton, grandchildren Carly Mills Crittenden and husband Chris Crittenden, Emily Jane Davis and husband Mike Davis, Thomas Benjamin (Ben) Creighton, Parker Cook Creighton and his wife Amanda Creighton, and Martha Lucille Creighton.  Also survived by her six great-grandchildren Elouise and Henry Crittenden, Stevie Jane Davis, Levi, Daniel and James Parker (JP) Creighton.  In addition, Chuck Ashley and wife Ginny Ashley, Vickie Ashley and son Jason and wife Malika Ashley.

A memorial service will be held 10 a.m., Friday, March 3, 2023 at Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Chapel. A private family burial of cremains will follow at Graford Cemetery.