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Susan Gillie

We are extremely saddened to announce the passing of Susan “Sue” Jean Gillie of Guilford on April 15, 2024, at Artis Senior Living in Branford. Sue was born in Oakland, California, on Jan. 28, 1947.

Through high school, she grew up in Kentfield, California. Sue graduated from Cal Berkeley in 1968 with a degree in English, then pursued a career in publishing with Houghton and Mifflin and was lead writer and editor for their educational series called “Adventures in the World of Work,” which gave elementary schoolchildren a behind the scenes look at various careers with an eye to all things possible. Her attention to detail and her exceptional writing skills were instrumental in elevating the series to a national school audience.

In retirement, Sue’s avocations would eventually become her primary focus. Sue received her certificate as master gardener from the New York Botanical Garden in 2004. Her mastery of all things “gardened” made her a valuable member of the Farmington and Hartford Garden Clubs and, finally, as co-president of Guilford’s Leete’s Island Garden Club. At the annual plant sales, Sue was the go-to person to answer questions regarding Latin nomenclature, plant history, placement, and viability. Simultaneously, she became adept at garden design and beautified many Connecticut landscapes with her natural instincts and artistic eye. She was instrumental in the design and choice of plantings at Guilford’s charming Leete’s Island Lane next to the Market Place.

For five years, Sue was a docent at Hartford’s Mark Twain House, leading groups of visitors several days a week while answering questions about Mark Twain’s life, family, and writings. She always remained the consummate Mark Twain historian. Sue was publicity chair for the Guilford Keeping Society, where she used her background in literature, history, writing, and art design to create compelling posters and online pieces for the GKS annual fundraisers and the successful Stony Creek quarry tours hosted by Unc DeRoss and Carl Balestracci. Sue was a talented musician who regularly played guitar at her West Hartford Unitarian services, and on piano, Sue could sight-read any piece, but was particularly drawn to American song book standards, Broadway musicals, and ragtime. She also loved to sing folk music, especially songs with strong lyrics and messages of public awareness. Most notably, Sue was an accomplished artist. Her artistic talent was apparent in her many acrylic Impressionistic paintings, creating beautiful canvasses of the Mark Twain house interiors, the quaint homes of Key West, Florida, the gardens of Monet’s home in Giverny, France, and the countrysides of California and New England. Her paintings were regularly shown in Connecticut galleries, and one Twain interior won third place in an all-New England competition. Sue’s art and art studio were also part of the prestigious Shoreline Arts Trail for five seasons.

Sue was a kind, gracious, intelligent, and loving partner and friend, one of those lovely people you wanted to know, one who could light up a space with her smile and one who added so much quiet elegance to the gathering, the community, and beyond. Sue’s soul was embedded in nature. She lived to be at one with things that grow and with things that give color to the world. She was at one with the elements, motivated and inspired by how the rain and sun, soil and sweat could improve our surroundings and our daily perspectives. She could then seamlessly transfer that vibrancy to her canvasses, her music, her wardrobe, her conversation, and her daily living. We will miss that vibrancy: the sparkle, the vitality, her humor, her insight, the creative brilliance, her company, and her gentle, loving spirit. We celebrate this special woman who left this world a significantly more peaceful and beautiful place.

Sue leaves behind her husband, Brian Gillie of Guilford; her daughter and son-in-law, Deborah and Ben Bloom, and two grandchildren, Alex and Evan, all of Seattle, Washington.

There will be Celebration of Life at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, at the First Congregational Church of Guilford. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to Sue’s primary charity, The World Wildlife Fund, P.O. Box 97180, Washington, DC 20090-7180; www.worldwildlife.org. Arrangements in care of the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.