GLADEWATER, Texas — **EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from Aug. 2018 where Suzanne Bardwell spoke at the "Use Your Teacher Voice" rally in Longview which addressed concerns like adequate and fair health care, teacher retirement benefits and more.
Funeral arrangements have been set for a beloved former East Texas teacher and owner of several local newspapers who passed away last week.
Suzanne Bardwell passed away Jan. 7 after she was involved in a Longview wreck, her husband Jim Bardwell said on Gladewater Mirror Facebook page last weekend.
He described her in the Facebook post as a woman full of life who loved everyone.
"Her passion for life was seen everyday and through all the people she touched," he said in the post. "I will never know how many people she touched as a teacher, but I do know she touched my heart when we first met at age 13 and I have been in love with her ever since."
Visitation for family and friends will be held Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Croley Funeral Home in Gladewater.
Memorial services are scheduled for this Friday at 11 a.m. at the First Christian Church in Longview. Graveside services will be held at noon Saturday in the Hamilton Beeman Cemetery in Corsicana, according to her obituary.
Suzanne and Jim Bardwell were married for 46 years. They met at church camp when they were 13 years old. The Bardwells also have a son, Josh, and daughter-in-law Jennifer.
Since 2012, she and her husband have owned the Gladewater Mirror, which services Gregg, Smith and Upshur counties. The family company, Bardwell Ink, also owns the White Oak Independent and the Lindale News and Times newspapers.
According to the Texas Press Association, she was president of the North and East Texas Press Association and her newspaper column writing won multiple awards in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
The TPA said she was active in helping counter legislation that would limit freedom of the press and open records and meetings.
Her Facebook page said, she was "a lover of books, nature, animals, people, laughter and life."
According to CBS19's newspaper partners, the Longview News-Journal, Suzanne previously worked at area school districts, including Gilmer ISD (four years), Spring Hill ISD (10 years) and White Oak ISD, where she shared her wealth of knowledge with so many. During her time in White Oak, she served as a journalism teacher, as well as the adviser for the yearbook and newspaper staff.
The Longview News-Journal reports in 2013, she retired with a bang after 18 years from White Oak when she was named the Max R. Haddick Teacher of the Year by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). The award is presented annually to the best high school journalism instructor in Texas.
She was also a U.S. History adjunct professor at Kilgore College.
In 2017, Suzanne was named "Woman of the Year" during the 86th Annual Gladewater Chamber of Commerce banquet.
In August 2018, Bardwell spoke at the "Use Your Teacher Voice" rally in Longview which addressed concerns like adequate and fair health care, teacher retirement benefits and more.
"This is not about party,” said Suzanne. “It is not about politics. It's about policies and policy issues. Most of the people up there have been in the trenches fighting hard -- hard for public education."
To read her full obituary, click here.