Educator, Entrepreneur, Trailblazer: Johnston County’s Susie Jane Malone Dies At 104

Beloved Teacher and Role Model Leaves Lasting Legacy

JOHNSTON COUNTY — Susie Jane Malone, a longtime Johnston County educator and entrepreneur who helped lead the integration of local schools, passed away on October 2 at the age of 104. Her life spanned more than a century of historic change, much of which she experienced not only firsthand, but helped to shape through quiet leadership and steady service.

Malone was born in the early 20th century to Mack Lynn Watson and Susan F. Holt Watson. Raised in a rural, close-knit family with three brothers and one sister, she demonstrated early intelligence, discipline, and compassion — traits that would define her long career.

She graduated as valedictorian of W.M. Cooper School in 1935, then earned her cosmetology license from Stark’s Beauty College No. 1 in May 1940. As a licensed cosmetologist and owner of her own beauty shop, Malone provided services and mentorship to generations of local residents at a time when few Black women owned and operated businesses in Johnston County.

In 1954, she earned her degree from Shaw University and transitioned into education, teaching first at Short Journey School in Smithfield. She maintained her beauty business while also training others in the cosmetology profession.

In 1965, Malone joined Cooper Elementary School, later transferring to Clayton Primary. During this period, she became one of the first Black educators to teach in newly integrated classrooms, contributing to a critical period of transition in North Carolina public schools. She retired in May 1982 after nearly three decades of teaching.

Throughout her career, Malone was known for her professionalism, leadership, and strong moral character. She was active in her community, her church, and her extended family, and she remained engaged well into her retirement years.

Malone never made the headlines and never sought recognition. Her story reflects the often-overlooked influence of Black female educators in the South — women who served as both teachers and cultural anchors in their communities.

Her contributions as both an educator and entrepreneur made a lasting impact on Johnston County. She was part of a generation that helped lay the groundwork for expanded educational access, civil rights progress, and economic opportunity.

Malone was the wife of the late Daniel W. Malone, whom she married in 1950. She is survived by her son, Daniel G. Malone, and her granddaughter, Suzy A. Malone, along with extended family and many friends and former students.

Her legacy endures in the lives of those she taught, mentored, and served across more than 100 years of community life.

As her granddaughter told us, “May her memory be a blessing and her life a lasting example of love, faith, and grace.”