Suzanne Cecile Brunazzi Paxton

1941-2019 Suzanne Paxton departed this life on September 17, 2019, at Christus St. Joseph's hospital in Monroe, Louisiana, where she had recently been in hospice care for the grave illness that too quickly ended her days among us. Born in Dallas, Texas, January 22nd, 1941 to Dr. Richard Brunazzi and Cecile Cassity Brunazzi, Suzanne grew up in Texarkana where she attended Highland Park elementary school, Texas Junior High School, and Texas High School. She graduated in 1958 with classmates who would remain lifelong friends. While growing up in Texarkana she discovered her enduring love of horses and riding. She was a member of Texarkana Saddle Pals from her junior high years when she participated in competitive equestrian quadrille, flag race, and barrel race at the rodeo. She enjoyed gathering with her friends at Lee's Drive-In, and was among the first to hear the music of Elvis Presley on tour at the Texarkana Municipal Auditorium. She also then began her fervent commitment to her Christian faith and vocation, attending meetings and revivals with her friends while still in high school. She also especially enjoyed summer camps on Lake Ouachita and on the gulf shore in Gulfport, Mississippi. Following graduation from high school she attended Newcomb College/Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she was active in the sorority Pi Beta Phi. She received her B.A. with a major in Psychology in 1962. During her first marriage to Thomas Arthur Grant, III, of Monroe, Louisiana, Suzanne gave birth to three children, Cecile, Thomas and Richard. As a young wife and mother, she was an active member of, among other organizations, the Monroe Junior League, Monroe Garden Club, and Grace Episcopal Church. She was on the original Monroe Junior League committee which produced the bestselling cookbook Cotton Country Collection. With her marriage to Albert Paxton, Sr. she moved to the Paxton farm and cutting horse ranch in Tallulah, Louisiana, where, always noted for her sparkling sociability and community engagement, she continued to be active in Trinity Episcopal church where she was on the Vestry, the Tallulah Academy where she taught for a number of years, and the Madison Parish Council on Aging where she served as a board member. She was also active in her bridge club, and numerous other projects and events where Suzanne was noted for the generous contribution she made of her skills in decorating, floral and garden design. She also continued to exercise her love of horses and riding which she shared with her husband Albert and their family. Suzanne and Albert also shared a love of history, especially of the American War Between the States and the American West. Suzanne often served as a knowledgeable guide to visitors through the Vicksburg battlefield. Suzanne is survived by her children, Cecile Grant Draper of Monroe, Thomas Arthur Grant IV of Monroe, Richard Grant of Westchester, New York, her grandson Jon Draper, of Tallulah, her grandaughters Freya Pierson and Gloria Cecile Grant, of New York, her great grandchildren Henry and Emily Draper, of Tallulah and her sisters, Elizabeth Brunazzi-Weyhe, of Taos, New Mexico, and Cecile Deaglio-Brunazzi, of San Francisco, California. In lieu of flowers, tributes, donations and contributions requested to go to Trinity Episcopal Church in Tallulah. Services: Texarkana, Texas, Saturday September 21st, Hillcrest Cemetery, 10:00 am Memorial, Tallulah, Louisiana, Monday, September 23rd, Trinity Episcopal Church, 11:00 am. Visitation is Friday, September 20, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Texarkana Funeral Home, Texas.