When sharing about the success she achieved during her life, Sue often went back to her time as a high school and college athlete. Many of the values that brought her succcess in her career Sue learned on the court with her team mates.
Her success as an athlete also allowed her to pursue higher education, which helped put her on a path to professional success and entrepreneurship.
Our goal, through the Sue Smith Family Foundation, is to invest in the next generation of student athletes, making higher education more accessible and affordable.
Despite female sports viewership reaching record-breaking highs, and more than 50 years after the passage of Title IX, collegiate female sports programs are still grossly underfunded compared to male athletics. (link)
Even though we've seen tremendous progress over the past several decades, female athletes still have access to fewer scholarship opportunities, when compared to their peers, making higher education less accessible.
In honor of Sue's accomplishments, our goal is to help change that over time through our family-funded scholarship program.
You can donate through Bold.org by clicking here. All donations go directly to scholarship recipients and are tax deductible.
It’s all about family — always.
Sue Smith Family Foundation is comprised of those closest to Sue — the people who understood the experiences that shaped Sue’s life and set her on a course of success.
Jimmy spent the past 30 years founding, building and growing Sue’s Recycling & Sanitation, LLC. alongside Sue (and, later, his son, Taylor).
After losing his wife, best friend and business partner of over 40 years, it was important to Jimmy to keep Sue’s legacy alive. He has played a key role in launching the Sue Smith Family Foundation.
Jimmy remains actively involved with Sue’s Recycling. When he’s not at the shop, you can find him spending time with his family, at a table playing cards or out riding his side-by-sides in Oklahoma and neighboring states with his co-pilots PJ and JJ.
Saying that Taylor literally grew up in his parents’ business hits the nail on the head. From a young age, he watched them work and sacrifice to build something of their own.
Taylor graduated with his bachelors in Finance from NSU and his MBA from OSU. He is currently President of Sue’s Recycling & Sanitation, LLC after officially joining the family business full time in 2006.
When he isn’t working, you can find Taylor traveling with his family, teaching his son, Rigley, the art of the dad joke or on a tennis court.
Sue’s son-in-law, Ryan, is well known for his love of list-making, planning and organization — all important skills in starting and managing a nonprofit.
After twenty accomplished years in communications, Ryan joined his family at Sue’s Recycling & Sanitation, LLC as the Executive Vice President several years ago.
Outside of work, Ryan loves dabbling with photography, loves to paint and spending as much time as he can with his family and their pups.
One thing you'll hear mentioned about Sue from those who knew her best: Sue lived BIG. There's no way a brief biography can fully capture her spirit fully.
Sue (Daily) Smith was born in a no-stoplight-town in Oklahoma. That little town — Braggs, Oklahoma — taught Sue the importance of community and caring for your neighbors.
Before long, Sue became known in Braggs (and the surrounding area) for her skill as an athlete; Sue was an accomplished basketball player for Braggs High School. To this day, members of the Braggs community light up when reminiscing about watching Sue dominate on the basketball court.
Sue’s basketball skills gave her something that forever changed the trajectory of her life: a chance to see more of the country and, more importantly, to continue her education.
At a time when women’s sports still didn’t get the respect they deserved, John F. Kennedy college in Wahoo, Nebraska was quietly pioneering intercollegiate women's athletics with a focus on softball and basketball.
John F. Kennedy College came calling for Sue and she answered. She attended the school on scholarship and continued dominating the basketball court.
Sue’s contributions to the program helped it continue to find success even after she had left school. The women's basketball team went on to win several AAU titles. The team also advanced to the final game of the National Women's Invitational Tournament in 1972, 1973 and 1974.
After college wrapped up, Sue moved to Omaha, Nebraska before moving back to her beloved small town in Oklahoma. As much as she loved her time in Nebraska, Sue couldn’t resist those Oklahoma skies.
Not too long after moving home, Sue met her future husband, and love of her life, Jimmy Smith. The two would eventually wed in 1979, which brought her daughter, Tracey, into her life.
Sue worked for a time as a loan officer with a local bank before joining Sequoyah Fuels, where she quickly earned herself a position in leadership. After 17 years, Sue left Sequoyah Fuels.
In 1993, Sue and Jimmy founded S&S Companies, which would eventually become Sue’s Recycling & Sanitation, LLC. As the years progressed, Sue and Jimmy grew their business with lots of hard work, a focus on treating people well and doing the right thing, even when it wasn’t always the most profitable option. Sue knew that integrity and honesty mattered as much price.
Under Sue’s guidance, Sue’s Recycling built a foundation for year-over-year growth that remains today. Sue’s business savvy and creative thinking became core to the businesses’ approach. Sue and Jimmy’s son, Taylor, joined the business full time in 2006 after receiving his MBA from Oklahoma State University.
Sadly, Sue was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2020 and lost her battle in September of that year.
Sue might not be with us physically but she remains close to us in spirit. Her lasting impact is evident on her family, friends and her team members.
Today, 30 years later, Sue’s Recycling operates in 17 counties in Oklahoma, employs over 60 crew members and services thousands of customers daily. Jimmy and Taylor continue operating Sue’s with the same focus on relationships and on doing the right thing that Sue provided.
Here are some of our favorite pictures of Sue through the years.
