Susan Shiley Obituary, Death – Susan Shiley, 64, of Monticello passed away Friday, May 6, 2022, at home. Susan was born Oct. 15, 1957, in Pascagoula, Miss., to Catherine and Donald Gibson Sr. After graduating from Tuscola High School, she attended Eastern Illinois University as an education major, and later transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to pursue her bachelor’s degree in forestry, her true passion.
While at SIU, Susan met David Shiley, the love of her life, and the two married Aug. 5, 1978. After finishing their degrees in forestry, they moved to Monticello and lived at 4-H Memorial Camp, where Dave worked. Susan worked for the Piatt County Nursing Home as an administrative assistant before leaving full-time employment to raise her four children — Steven, Patrick, Elizabeth and Annie.
She went back to work for the Monticello school cistrict as a secretary at Lincoln Elementary School for 22 years. After retiring in 2020, she spent her time caring for her grandchildren and enjoying all of her hobbies.
Susan loved the outdoors, animals, camping, gardening, entertaining, music, baking, knitting, reading and bird-watching and never missed a family member’s event — for her children, nieces, nephews, grandkids, everyone she loved. Her biggest priorities were her family and friends.
She was known for remembering every birthday, anniversary and important milestone. She was famous for her sugar cookies, banana bread and puppy chow.
Susan was predeceased by her father; her stepfather, Norwood Kellogg; and her stepbrother, John Kellogg.
She is survived by her mother Catherine Kellogg; her husband, David; four children and seven grandchildren, Steven and wife Kristen and children Olivia and Teagan; Patrick and wife Anne Celine and children Adeline and Beckett, Elizabeth Rost and husband Brandon and children Cooper and Molly, and Annie Anderson and husband Logan and daughter Blair; two brothers, Donald Gibson Jr. and wife Jane, and Mark Gibson; her stepsister, Barbara Patton and husband Alan; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 13, 2022, at the Monticello United Methodist Church. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 14, at the church.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Susan Shiley memorial fund at First State Bank, Monticello, to be used to support Monticello schools and Monticello students as Susan did for over 20 years.
