Sue Alford

Sue Alford died at 81 on Thursday, September 23, 2010 at Casabella in Las Cruces, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. The eldest daughter of Joel Bowen and Frances Hannah Bowen, Sue was born in Minneapolis, MN on November 4, 1928 and raised in Riverside, CA and Beaumont, TX. Sue received her B.A. in Education from North Texas University in 1950 and taught school in Roswell, NM and El Paso, TX. After earning her M.A. in Speech Pathology from New Mexico State University in 1968, she worked as a speech therapist and educational diagnostician for the public schools in Las Cruces and El Paso, TX. She also served as the director of the Child Find/Serve program for Region XIX Educational Service Center in El Paso for many years. After her retirement in 1993, Sue moved to Rio Rancho where she continued to work for the public school system and as a mediator and child advocate for the New Mexico Assistance League. She relocated to Las Cruces in 2004. Sue was a former member of St. Paul's Methodist Church in Las Cruces. She was preceded in death by her brother, Dr. James Bowen and her daughter, Annette Jo Alford. She is survived by her former husband, Hoy Alford of Las Cruces; her daughters, Shirley J. Alford and Carla L. Alford, of Las Cruces; and a sister, Shirley Walker of Dallas, TX. A private memorial service will be held by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alzheimersassociation.org). PDF Printable Version