Sue Goddard

Sue Walker Goddard went home to be with the Lord on August 9, 2025 while surrounded by loved ones. Sue, daughter of Milburn and Sallie Walker, graduated from Decatur High School in 1951, then earned a Bachelor's of Arts in Music, Magna Cum Laud, from Agnes Scott College in 1955, where she was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, one of the most prestigious honor societies for academic excellence in liberal arts and sciences. A lifetime Atlantan, she married her high school sweetheart Bill Goddard, to whom she was wedded for over 50 happy years.

Sue was celebrated as a talented organist and a contributor to Atlanta's music community. Upon her college graduation she applied for the organist position at Grace United Methodist Church. As she told the story, Charles Allen, the well-known pastor of Grace at the time, only asked her one question in the interview: "Do you know how to play Jesus Loves Me?" Taken aback, she said she did, and Allen hired her on the spot. "If you can play Jesus loves me and you have a Kappa key," he said, "that's all I need to know about you."

She began at Grace on September 3, 1956 and played her last service on April 3,
2016, nearly 60 years later. While serving on the staff of Grace UMC, she was associated with The Temple and Northside Drive Baptist Church for periods of time. She was especially active in choral accompanying, working with the Georgia Tech Chorale, the Choral Guild of Atlanta, and the Colson Chorale, all with her longtime colleague Gregory Colson, as well as the William Baker Festival Singers.

She later became an associate of the Atlanta American Guild of Organists chapter, in which she served on committees and in leadership positions, including a term as Dean from 1972-1974. During 2014 - 2015, she was co-chairman for the celebration of the Atlanta AGO's Centennial. At the end of her long music career, she was honored by Grace UMC with a special stained-glass window and two large additions to "her" Schantz-Widener organ-which was dedicated to her and bears her name-and by the establishment of the Sue Goddard scholarship award at Agnes Scott College.

Sue was mother to three, her late son John, Laura, and Alan. She departed loved as well by five grandchildren and two great-grand children.