Dr. Susan Lea Self, age 51, of Dover, left her earthly shell to be with the Lord on Monday, January 12, 2026, after a long courageous battle with cancer.  She was born May 25, 1974, in Russellville to Larry and Cindy McAlister.

Susan attended elementary school at St. John's Catholic School in Russellville and was a 1992 graduate of Dover High School where she played the saxophone in the band.  She earned her bachelor's and master's in nursing at Arkansas Tech University, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Graceland University.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dover.

Susan was a professor of nursing at Arkansas Tech University for many years.  She loved nursing and was passionate about teaching and mentoring, touching many students' lives throughout her career.  With great sadness she retired from teaching in 2025 due to her illness.  More than this, she was a dedicated wife and mother who took great pride in her children.  Most of all, she lived a life of love and service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Maurice (Moe) and Mary L. Hoffman and Donald and Aileene McAlister; aunt, Beth Frazier; and mother-in-law, Sue Self.

Survivors include her parents; her husband of 26 years, Dr. Matthew Self; daughters, Emma (Carter), Anna and Lilly; her sister, Cheryl Hickman; and many other relatives and friends.

The funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 17, 2026, at First Baptist Church of Dover with Dr. Jeff Paxton and the Rev. Sandy Taylor officiating.  Burial will be in McFadden Cemetery under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville.

The family will receive friends Friday evening from 5:00-6:00 p.m., at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be sent to Gideons International, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, Tennessee 37214-0800.

Pallbearers will be Casey Spradlin, Chris Brown, Carter Coonts, Allen Farley, Josh Titsworth and Nathan Hickman.

Honorary pallbearers will be Donald Edge, Kenneth Buchanan, Mark Self, Todd Self and Jason Self.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Dr. Sneed and all the staff at Carti; and the ER, Med/Surg, and ICU teams at St. Mary's for their compassionate care during this difficult time.

Online guestbook and condolences available at www.shinnfuneral.com .