Dr. Vara Sue Tamminga passed away on August 21, 2021, after a long battle with breast cancer. Sue was born January 25, 1950, in San Antonio, Texas to William Sydney and Eva Madelle (Keathley) Tamminga. She earned a Bachelor’s in Plan II Honors and a Doctorate in Literature from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in Literature from The University of Virginia at Arlington. Known as Sue, she was a gifted educator, classical vocalist, and poet. Sue married Dr. Thomas Barker in Austin in 1978 before moving to Lubbock, TX, where they both taught English at Texas Tech University. Sue later relocated and taught at Suffolk Community College in Riverhead, NY, where she mentored student writers and sponsored the student literary journal. She published work in several poetry journals and left teaching to travel before settling in Huntsville, TX, to teach at Sam Houston State University. Sue enjoyed the symphony, museums, and going to the beach with her grandkids. Sue was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her daughter Emily and her husband Michael Schulz of Houston, TX, son John Barker and his wife Grace Lara of Huntsville, TX, grandchildren Ekaterina (Kitty) Barker, Sophia Schulz, and Penelope (Penny) Barker, brothers William and Deb Tamminga of Austin, TX, Robert Tamminga of Austin, TX, David and Harriet Tamminga of Lufkin, TX, John and Nicole Tamminga of Ashland, OR, and seven nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas on Saturday, October 2 at 2:00 PM. You can visit http://www.gatheringus.com/memorial/dr-vara-sue-tamminga/7868 to share memories and photos. In lieu of flowers, please donate in her name to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at https://www.bcrf.org or Together Rising at https://togetherrising.org.