Susan Parma Naugher Matthis Howard

Susan Parma Naugher Matthis Howard, 88, passed away on March 6, 2026, at ECH Health Center in Greenville following a short illness.

Born on July 29, 1937, to the late Wilgus and Jane Pennebaker Naugher, Parma spent her early childhood in Kentucky before her family moved to Raleigh and later Clinton, North Carolina. She graduated from Clinton High School and St. Mary's College in Raleigh. She worked for several years as a Program Administrator for Head Start and Community Action in Sampson County. In 1976 she married the late John LeRoy Howard and moved to Greenville, where they made their home. She was a longtime member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Parma was known for her outgoing nature, love of people, excellent sense of humor, and refreshing frankness. She brought warmth to every gathering through her culinary skills and was admired for her resilience, deep faith, and generous spirit. She devoted time and support to many causes close to her heart, including the jazz program at East Carolina University's School of Music and the American Heart Association's annual Greenville Heart Ball.

She was preceded in death by her husband John LeRoy Howard, her sister Jane Matthis Smith, her stepfather George Kirby Matthis, and her stepson John LeRoy Howard, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Penne Sandbeck of Alexandria, Virginia; granddaughter, Margaret "Maggie" Sandbeck of Durham, New Hampshire; stepdaughter, Hannah Howard DeSoto and husband Bob of Emerald Isle; sister-in-law, Betty Lou Howard of Greenville; nephews Brian Guyton Smith (Melissa) of Columbia, South Carolina, and Elliott Grainger Smith (Alison) of Ithaca, New York; and four great-nephews and nieces.