Susan M. Kelly

Susan Hayes Kelly passed on from this life surrounded by family on October 7, 2021, in Crown Point, IN at the age of 64. She was born in Chicago on April 18, 1957, and grew up in Pullman with parents Evans and Florence, and sister Janet Hayes (McMahon), attending Edgar Allen Poe Elementary and St. Anthony Parish. She moved with her family to Lansing in her teens where she attended TF South High School and met her life-long love, Ed Kelly, whom she married June 18, 1977. Ed, along with their children Nicole (Coltrane) Douglas and Gina (Sokhna, Evans, Nicholas, Ethan, Oliver, Uriah, and Iris) Kelly-Elliott, carry on her memory in love and life. Her legacy is one of strength, service, generosity, beauty, and adventure. The first college graduate in her family, she achieved her Bachelor’s in Education at Purdue while raising her two young girls, and she passes on her work ethic and tenacious drive. Her love for teaching and learning, language and travel live on through her family and the countless students and colleagues that she taught and mentored. She taught French and Spanish for three decades at Bloom and Thornton High School Districts, then went on to earn her Master’s degree from Roosevelt University in French literature, modeling the pursuit of brilliance and the fruits of hard work. Through her work in the Prairie State College ESL and citizenship programs and sponsorship of the Spanish and French clubs, she cultivated and championed an appreciation for diversity and equality. From her thesis work on French feminist existentialism to her participation through knitting and marching, she was an educated, engaged, and fierce supporter of women’s rights. In addition to being a tireless supporter of the values of equality and personal integrity, she also inspired a love of music and the arts. Our family that remembers childhood trips to the Art Institute, museums, and ballets was lucky to enjoy her recent trip to the Van Gogh exhibit. Herself a master fiber artist, she shared her eye for beauty and detail through knitting, weaving, crocheting, and will be remembered for the quality of her work and her spirit of community and volunteerism by the members of her Weaver’s Guild, knitters of the dunes, and her family local yarn boutique, Sheep’s Clothing. Among her children and grandchildren are talented and committed linguists, activists, artists, and musicians. We continue to live her passions and values every day. Never one to sit still, she enjoyed throughout her life active and bold pursuits such as dance, kickboxing, and travel. From their honeymoon camping in the Smoky mountains ending with flash flood, to enjoying beaches along Sanibel and St Lucia, climbing the pyramids in Mexico, sightseeing in France, Spain, and Italy, and scaling the side of a ship in Senegal; watching her toddler grandchild win slots in Vegas, to the brakes going out in the Rocky Mountains, she was a constant adventurer who could roll with the punches. She stayed active after her retirement from teaching, furthering her participation in the family business, Kelly Construction, with a second career in real estate, and kept up her travels with her lifelong friend Gayle Planeto. She especially loved hiking and boating around her and Ed’s beloved Saugatuck-Douglas area, where she enjoyed boating and walks with her family just a week ago. Of all her achievements and passions, oceans crossed, mountains climbed, Susan will probably be remembered most as the grandma of all grandmas. Never did a grandma love her grandkids more. She was our strong matriarch and our dedicated cheerleader. Though she referred to herself as a simple woman, no indulgence was too silly or trivial or too great for her loved ones. Never was a task too big to be undertaken or a gesture too small to be remembered and honored. And so will we remember and honor you, in spirit, in peace, and in commitment. We send you on with love. Burns Funeral Home, Crow Point entrusted with arrangements. www.burnsfuneral.com

Susan M. Kelly

April 18, 1957 - October 7, 2021