Susan Gentry Martin

Susan Vaughan (Gentry) Martin, 78, of Searcy, Arkansas departed to her eternal home on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Batesville, Arkansas. She was born in Searcy, Arkansas on January 31, 1948, to Readus and Geraldine (Vaughan) Gentry. 

She lived in a number of places with her parents, from Searcy to Judsonia, where, as a small child, she had memories of their home—the only one left standing on their block—becoming a triage center after the historic tornado of 1952. Soon afterward the family moved to Uniontown, Pennsylvania then Joaquin, Texas and later Longview, Texas, where she graduated from high school after lettering in and serving as captain of the girls tennis team. 

Susan attended Kilgore Jr. College, then made her way to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, attending and graduating from Henderson State in 1969. She returned home to Longview for her first teaching job with Hallsville ISD before moving to Elizabethtown, Kentucky to teach at the DOD school at Fort Knox Army Base.

Susan furthered her education at TWU in Denton, Texas obtaining a master’s degree. She pivoted her career to working for the State of Texas as a caseworker for AFDC in Dallas, then as a parole officer based in Amarillo. During this time, she met and married John Martin on February 29th of a leap year —one of their favorite stories to tell. They made their way to Arkansas and settled in North Little Rock where she worked for Aegon, Cystic Fibrosis of Central Arkansas and Thomas Engineering. John predeceased her in 2010. Soon after his passing, she moved to Searcy to care for her mother.

Among the things she loved to do was host family and friends for all kinds of gatherings. She was a great cook, loved baking goodies for people and was known by many to bake the very best tasting and most perfectly shaped chocolate chip cookies! She loved history and curated her own extended families’ history through personal items she lovingly displayed. Susan loved God, shared her faith, attended church wherever she lived, and was last a member of Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Searcy.

Susan’s parents; husband; older sister, Linda Durke, and her husband, Tom; brothers, Paul and infant Little Jerry; and nephew, Jordan Durke predeceased her.

Family left to cherish her memory are her sister, Carole Sherman (Ron) of Norman, Oklahoma; nieces, Allison Rawls (David) of Houston and Morgan Sublett (Nicholas) of Dallas; nephew, Taylor Durke (Alyson) of Atlanta; great-nieces, Sadie Durke, Gentry Sublett, and coming-soon baby girl Rawls; great-nephews, Harrison Durke and Emmett Sublett; and numerous cousins, all of whom she loved dearly. Also left to cherish her memory are her very special friends, Kevin and Amanda Lindsey of Pangburn and Anthony Phillips of Searcy, who took good care of her, and she of them, as well as her precious furry companion, Roxy.

A memorial service will be held August 15th, 1 p.m. at The Wedding Chapel, 200 Van Buren, Judsonia, Arkansas, a place she loved seeing become a reality.

Arrangements entrusted to Doty Southside Funeral Service of Southside, Arkansas.