Susan Connelly

Susan Kathleen Connelly died May 8.  She was preceded in death by her father George Franklin Connelly, her mother Cleo Alberta Hope Connelly, and her “sister,” Pamela Marie Connelly.  She is survived by her co-pilot of 30 years, Abby Ingrum, her brother, Steve, her nieces Kathleen Connelly and Emilye Crosby, her nephew Sean Connelly (Kay), two great nephews, Ciabhan Connelly and Fionn Connelly, her grand niece Monica Kennedy, and close friend Hannah Hudson. She was born June 22, 1948 in Vincennes Indiana.  She was a 1966 graduate of Wiley High School in Terre Haute, Indiana, and a graduate of Indiana State University, where she played saxophone in the marching band, performing at professional football games in Green Bay, Chicago, and Cincinnati.  She worked as a librarian, as Executive Advisor of the Volunteer Illini Program (VIP) at the University of Illinois, which won a national award during her tenure, and as Health and Safety Director at the American Red Cross. Her work with students at VIP led to a number of life-long friendships, including those with Sarah Hurley and Mark Senak.

Susan exemplified a number of classic virtues, foremost among them kindness and generosity.  She demonstrated bravery the last three years of her life, playing pickleball weeks after brain surgery.

Among her favorite pastimes were books, crossword puzzles, movies (she attended every Ebertfest movie the last month of her life), ping pong, boules, and pickleball.  She was especially good at pickleball.  She was MVP of the 2014 le jeu du seau à boule tournament in St.-Jean-de-Luz.   She loved travel, visiting every state but Hawaii.  She began her extensive international travel  with a trip to Ireland in 1969.  She toured Europe in 1976 and traveled with family to the Grand Canyon, to Ireland a number of times, and to Northern Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, and England.  The family had recently begun a tradition of meeting for New York Yankee games.  She especially enjoyed games in the cities of Baltimore and Toronto.

A private service was held for family and a very few close friends.  A future public service will be held in either Galway, Ireland or St.-Jean-de-Luz, France.  All invited.

Friends may honor her memory with a donation to the charity of their choice.

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