MARTINSBURG, WV—It is with great sadness in announcing the passing of a beautiful, talented, strong and gracious lady, Sue Marks of Martinsburg, West Virginia, on August 4, 2026. There is joy and peace though in knowing that Sue is in Heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and with loved ones who have gone before her!
Sue was born at home just outside the small fishing village of Reedville in the fishing community of Fleeton, to John A. and Bertha M. Haynie on February 25, 1950. Sue grew up on “Cedar Lane” in Callao. She graduated from Northumberland High School, working during high school as a telephone operator in Warsaw. After high school she attended Ferum College before moving to Richmond, living in an apartment in the “Fan District” while working at Thalhimers Department Store.
Her first marriage took her to White Post, New York, for a brief time before bringing her to Martinsburg, where she had the joy of her life, her daughter, Kara Suzanne Sanders in May of 1973. Throughout Sue’s life, Kara brought her much joy and happiness in events in school, in church and with family life: always proud of Kara’s achievements, accomplishments and caring.
Upon moving to Martinsburg, Sue for a brief time worked at Smith–Nadenbousch Insurance Company in Martinsburg before being hired at the AT&T Distribution Center on Tabler Station Road where she eventually was promoted to a supervisory position.
In late 1979 while teaching dance lessons through the Berkeley County Adult & Community Education Program, Sue met her second husband, Greg Marks of Martinsburg. Meeting in dance class, they went on to compete in local dance competitions and would, from then on, love to dance. They were married on July 4, 1981, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Martinsburg.
In the middle of her work and family life, Sue managed to go back to school at Shepherd College and then Wheeling Jesuit University where she attained her Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership and development in 2000. In anticipation of the closing of the Martinsburg plant, Sue elected to transfer to the AT&T Long Lines facility in Middletown as an ISO9000 – Lloyd’s of London – insured facilitator until her retirement after 25 years.
From there, she was offered a job with World Wide Automotive in Winchester, again as a ISO-9000 auditor, where she worked for a few years before moving on to the job she truly loved as an interior designer/decorator and starting The Design Center on West German Street in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
During the following nearly 30 years, Sue became a certified interior designer, creating award winning designs in residential as well as commercial environments in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. At one point, she created designs for model homes for Dan Ryan Builders, winning multiple interior design awards in the Frederick County, Maryland, area through the Frederick County Builders Association annual awards banquets as well as many annual Best of the Best Interior Design Awards with the Martinsburg Journal Newspaper.
Later Sue moved her business location to West Burke Street in Martinsburg and eventually to her last location on Crimson Circle before closing. For the last almost seven years of her life, all while continuing to work, Sue valiantly fought her battle against the bone marrow cancer diseases—MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome) and finally Acute Myeloid Leukemia. And, for her last year and a half, she was frequently juggling hospital trips for chemo and blood transfusions along with client visits and job completions!
Full of life as she always was, Sue played women’s league softball and even coached Little League baseball at Oatsdale Park. She later in life became a devoted follower of her grandson Camden’s participation in Little League baseball and then Martinsburg High School baseball and swimming.
Sue was preceded in death by her sister, Elizabeth Haynie Swann.
Sue is survived by her husband of 45 years, Greg; her daughter, Kara Sanders Burnett and husband Eric Burnett of Martinsburg; grandson, Camden Burnett and wife Olivia Burnett and great-grandson Luke Burnett of Marshall; daughter, Heather Tolbert Marks Farley and husband Jacob Farley of Argyle, Texas; granddaughter, Cassidy Farley of Argyle; and grandson, Chance Tolbert of Plain City, Utah; brother-in-law, Quentin Swann of Lottsburg; niece Kimberly Swann Tauer and husband Toni of Danville, Illinois; and nephew, Keith Swann and wife Taylor of Lottsburg; brother, John Haynie and wife Becky of Stafford; niece, Meredith Haynie Himmelman and husband Jack; and nephew, Will Haynie of Stafford; as well as many great-nieces and great-nephews.
In the waining days of her life, Sue felt so blessed and moved by texts, calls and visits by all of her friends and all of her church friends. But most of all, she truly cherished her last visits and phone calls by all of her family, children, grandchildren and great-grandson!
The family received friends on Sunday, August 9, at Brown Funeral Home South Berkeley Chapel in Inwood. Funeral services were Monday, August 10, at Brown Funeral Home South Berkele Chapel, with internment at Rosedale Cemetery in Martinsburg with Generation Grace Church of Marshall Pastor Sam Rogers presiding
A memorial service will be held for Sue’s church family at a later date at Generation Grace Church on Grove Lane in Marshall.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, blood donations to The American Red Cross and contributions to Hospice of the Panhandle.
