Susan M. Gillig

Susan Mary Anne Gillig was born June 27, 1940 to Doris (Rasmussen) and Robert Leslie in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She passed away December 5, 2022 in Altoona, Wisconsin.

Susan graduated from Oconomowoc High School in 1958 where she enjoyed playing tennis with her friends and working at the family business, The Little Norway Store. She attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and then Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing earning her RN degree in 1962. She went back to school later in life and earned a BA in Health Administration in 1992 from Ottawa University, Kansas.

From 1977 until her retirement in 2000, Susan worked in many capacities at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. She served as the Infection Control nurse and later as the Employee Wellness nurse, and at times was contracted out by the hospital to help neighboring businesses. In retirement Susan worked as a tour guide with Holiday Vacations based out of Eau Claire, WI. She was an active member of the English Lutheran Church of Bateman and served as its first woman congregation president. She loved golfing, travel, long walks and hikes, and generally spending time surrounded by nature.

Susan is survived by her husband, Robert Gillig, as well as her two siblings Ron Leslie (Joyce) and Christine Leslie-Sessions. She is also survived by her three boys from her first marriage to Gary Nicholson (1940-2020): Daniel Nicholson and his three children with Susan Sanger, Annika, Henry, and Mitchell; Timothy Nicholson and wife Megan; and Michael Nicholson and his two children with wife Jenn, Elliott and Finn. Her marriage to Robert Gillig in 1985 gained Susan a daughter, Jann, and son-in-law, Jim Slayton, and their three children Stephanie, Joshua, and Emily. Eventually came great grandchildren Cora, Amelia, Henry, and Rose by Joshua and his wife Annie, as well as Griffin by Emily and her husband Neal Hummel.

Susan loved life, as most of us do, however she made a habit of going a step beyond, and really set out to create the kind of life she wanted. She made things happen. In particular, she made social things happen. She was not the type to sit around staring at the phone waiting to be invited to a party; she was the type to pick up the phone and make a party happen. Sometimes these parties would include months of planning and a plane trip to a foreign land, but mostly they happened in and around her home: A neighborhood walking group, Friday night “soirées,” a women’s group that met monthly for over a decade. Susan played a lot of golf, was a friend of Bill W., sledded, snowshoed and traveled with her grandkids. Susan continues to live on through her family and friends, as well as through the many social circles she created, but nevertheless she is deeply, deeply missed. You can do her an honor by initiating a social activity of your own.

Memorials can be sent to English Lutheran Church of Bateman, 20588 County Highway X, Chippewa Falls, WI  54729.

Her memorial service will be held at English Lutheran Church of Bateman on Thursday, June 29th at 10:30am to allow attendees from far and wide to join us in celebrating Susan.