Community & Business
13 June, 2025
Remembering Sue Passmore: 1930 — 2025
Agnes Evelyn Passmore (née Pye), better known as Sue, passed away on 22 May at the age of 94.
A celebration of life was held for Sue last Wednesday, 4 June at the Ma Ma Creek Anglican Cemetery and was followed by light refreshments at the Clifton Senior Citizens Centre.
Sue’s son George wrote the following eulogy which was read at the service by his daughter Tess.
“Sue was born on 26 November 1930.
She was the second daughter of George and Mabel Pye (nee Vogler).
She arrived only about 18 months after her older sister Helen.
Although not her given name, she was known as Sue her whole life.
The story goes that her sister Helen wanted a sister Sue, so the name stuck.
Sue hated her given name anyway, and would not answer if you called her by her given name.
With her sister, with whom she held a lifelong bond, she grew up on the small dairy farm, ‘Pyecroft’, hidden deep in the rugged upper valleys of Heifer Creek at Fordsdale.
In those days they milked the cows by hand and placed the filled milk cans by the roadside for early morning collection.
Sue went to Fordsdale State School (closed in 1967), which was not far from where the Fordsdale Hall still stands today. Sue left school after Year 7, and went to work as a domestic help with the Newnam family, who worked in real estate. She helped look after their young children.
In those days, the social scene was centred around country dances in the local halls.
At a dance at Fordsdale Hall, Sue met Stan Passmore, who was 10 years her senior.
They were married at St. Stephen’s church Ma Ma Creek on 1 August 1953, and settled on the family farm, ‘Praunsley,’ at Ellangowan, just west of Clifton on the Darling Downs.
Sue had 4 boys, Murray in July 1954, George in August 1958, Justin on Christmas Day 1960, and Bruce in September 1966.
Through these years, Sue was a devoted and hard-working mother and farmer’s wife. She was a brilliant pastry cook, making scones, jam slice, brownie, coconut slice, dog-in-a -blanket, stick-jaw , etc using a wood-fired stove, even after electricity arrived in 1966.
She also spent time nurturing a flower garden on the sandy ridge soils.
Around the mid 1970s, Sue craved some more independence, and worked as an Avon lady for a number of years.
She also worked as a cleaner from 1977 at Ryeford State School and babysat the principal’s daughter.
Around 1998, she left the farm and moved to a unit in Clifton.
In Clifton, Sue began a range of volunteering activities.
She continued an active role in the Clifton CWA and recently became a life member of the Clifton Senior Citizens.
She volunteered at the Clifton Museum, and was devastated when the old museum was knocked down.
She cooked for Ute and Boot Stalls, worked at the Clifton Op Shop, and was on the Australia Day Committee and the Clifton Drought Relief Committee.
Sue also helped at the Clifton High School Resource centre and library.
In 1990, she spent two weeks in Charleville helping to clean up after the disastrous floods there.
In recognition of her extensive volunteering activities, Sue was awarded an Australia Day Senior Citizens award in 2002.
Sue enjoyed some travel during these years, visiting Norfolk Island twice, New Zealand, South Australia, Canberra and the Northern Territory. She particularly loved Norfolk Island.
One of Sue’s fondest memories was climbing up the mountain behind the Pyecroft homestead to a cabin up on the range.
She loved her pet cat Chum, and with her sister in her younger years she enjoyed playing tennis and dancing.
In her later years she had a pet fox terrier, Tammie.
Sue was an avid reader and amassed a big book collection.
She enjoyed doing crosswords and playing Scrabble. She loved knitting, crochet, embroidery and sewing.
In Clifton she continued her love of gardening and her home there was always surrounded by brilliant colour.
Sue gave up her driving licence when she was about 90.
In recent years she enjoyed time with sister Helen, with trips to Tenterfield, the Gold Coast and other places arranged and accompanied by her niece Anita.
In her last years, she appreciated help from BlueCare and Envigor, especially home carers, Belinda and Leanne, who took her shopping and helped with cleaning.
Sue had a life long love of country and western music.
She went to many concerts and would listen to the country music show on the ABC every morning.
She was listening to country music and tapping to the music even in her final hours.
Sue lived her long life selflessly, calmly, humbly and with great dignity. She was active and fiercely independent until the end.
A kind and generous soul, she leaves a hole in the hearts of her extended family.”
