Sue Ellen Gillis

Sue Ellen Gillis died of metastatic colon cancer on June 24, 2015 after being diagnosed two and a half years ago. She was born in Ithaca on Feb. 25, 1946 to Spike (Horace) and Rosa (née Varga) Crass. She attended Ithaca High School, graduating in 1964 and University of Colorado at Boulder in 1968. Later she went on to earn her Masters in Educational Administration from SUNY Cortland. She taught secondary English in Falmouth, MA and Lansing, NY. She also taught at the Special Children's Center in Ithaca, the Cornell School of Human Ecology and the Child Development Center. She went on to work at TST BOCES in Ithaca coordinating staff development and was later the Adult Education Supervisor until her retirement. She worked with the GED program, the Tompkins county jail education program, as well as the refugee assistance program in Binghamton.

On May 18, 1968, she was married to Al Gillis in Colorado while he was on three weeks' leave from the US Coast Guard icebreaker Eastwind. They were married for 47 years. She has one daughter, Mariah Gillis, who lives in Baltimore with her husband, Marc Raley. Sue has one granddaughter, Olive Raley, who is 8 years old.

Sue's siblings are Carol Merilahti of Newfield, Mary Patte of Ithaca, Fred Crass of Venice Center, and Marsha Waite of Webster. Her in laws are David Merilahti, George Patte, Iris Goldfarb and Rich Waite. Her in laws by marriage are Andrew Gillis and his wife Margaret Neher of Ithaca, Cathy Waller and her Husband Ferris Betrus of Clinton, and Mary and Ghaleb Hamadeh of Oakland, CA. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews and their children, all over the country.

Sue was an active member of the National Ski Patrol at Greek Peak. She joined while still in college and dedicated 47 years to active patrol duty. She could always remain calm and level headed in emergency situations and had a friendly demeanor that brought comfort to people injured on the ski slopes. She also helped to teach newer trainees to be effective patrollers. She participated in NASTAR ski racing at Greek Peak and got to go to the National Competition in Aspen Colorado, where she placed fourth in the country (missing third by a few hundredths of a second) for her age group.

Sue enjoyed camping and canoeing in the Adirondacks. At home, she loved watching birds in her garden and loved a long line of cats over the years. Spending time with family and friends was always something she loved. She could always be counted on to help an injured animal or help a turtle cross a road (even if she got peed on). She was always happy to volunteer a clump of day lilies wherever she thought they were needed. There are clumps of lilies thriving all over New York State and beyond thanks to her. She was happy sitting in an Adirondack chair, vodka and tonic in hand, watching a summer sunset, or reading Olive a bedtime story when she came to visit. She especially loved Cape Cod and would visit friends there every year.

In the weeks before she died she made one final trip to the Cape to visit Pamet River, one of her favorite places in the world. She wanted all of us to be there together one last time. It is a beautiful wild place overlooking the ocean and the abandoned cranberry bogs. She has asked for some of her ashes to be spread there. Sue had a sarcastic sense of humor, and even at the very end would surprise us by saying something to make us all laugh.

While we are all saddened by her passing, we know that she was loved by many people. People were always seeking her advice and help, which she offered with grace and humor. We are all better people for having known her.

At Sue's request, there will be no calling hours or funeral service. Instead, the family will be hosting a Celebration of Life party in her honor which will be held later this summer. She had requested that people make donations to the Tompkins County SPCA, The Food Bank of the Southern Tier, or the Cancer Resource Center. Sue's family would also like to thank the nurses and staff at the Cayuga Medical Chemotherapy Infusion Department for taking such good care of her and being like a second family to her during her treatment.

"Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then you shall truly dance."
From The Prophet by Khalil Gibran