Sheila Ann Ryan, 90, of Savoy, Illinois, died peacefully at home in the presence of her children on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020.
She was born on Aug. 3, 1930, in Pittsburgh, the daughter of Ona and John Ryan.
She is survived by her children, Katie Sardiñas and Monica, Paul, Vincent (Jessica) and Bernard (SangJin) Wiley and three stepchildren, Geoff, Bruce (Nancy) and Scott (Christin) Day. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Megan, Rachel and Alex Wiley and eight stepgrandchildren, Tom, Grace, Michael, Lindsey, Darby, Lucas, Lauren and Logan Day.
She was preceded in death by Tom Day, her husband of 31 years, and her eldest child, Frank Wiley.
After a two-year foray into nursing school and narrowly avoiding the convent, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Loyola University in Chicago. She met her first husband, Norbert Wiley, there. They married in 1954 and raised their six children together. In mid-life, while raising her family, she returned to school to earn a master’s degree in English.
Her career was varied, including teaching English in an alternative high school, environmental advocacy and protecting women from sexual violence. She settled on editing, first at the University of Illinois and ending her career with her own small business, TextWright.
She loved adventures and the outdoors, from dozens of solo flights over Chicago as a teen to world travels in later life, with many nature walks throughout. She was passionately involved in social causes, particularly the women’s rights movement. She was an avid reader with a special interest in history.
Her marriage to Tom Day brought joy to the final decades of her life. Partners in crime, together they shared their love of laughter, gardening, lifelong learning and traveling.
Sheila was a friend and mentor to many. She had a knack for living in the moment and making people feel special. She was dearly loved and will be forever missed.
News-Gazette, The (Champaign-Urbana, IL)
She was born on Aug. 3, 1930, in Pittsburgh, the daughter of Ona and John Ryan.
She is survived by her children, Katie Sardiñas and Monica, Paul, Vincent (Jessica) and Bernard (SangJin) Wiley and three stepchildren, Geoff, Bruce (Nancy) and Scott (Christin) Day. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Megan, Rachel and Alex Wiley and eight stepgrandchildren, Tom, Grace, Michael, Lindsey, Darby, Lucas, Lauren and Logan Day.
She was preceded in death by Tom Day, her husband of 31 years, and her eldest child, Frank Wiley.
After a two-year foray into nursing school and narrowly avoiding the convent, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Loyola University in Chicago. She met her first husband, Norbert Wiley, there. They married in 1954 and raised their six children together. In mid-life, while raising her family, she returned to school to earn a master’s degree in English.
Her career was varied, including teaching English in an alternative high school, environmental advocacy and protecting women from sexual violence. She settled on editing, first at the University of Illinois and ending her career with her own small business, TextWright.
She loved adventures and the outdoors, from dozens of solo flights over Chicago as a teen to world travels in later life, with many nature walks throughout. She was passionately involved in social causes, particularly the women’s rights movement. She was an avid reader with a special interest in history.
Her marriage to Tom Day brought joy to the final decades of her life. Partners in crime, together they shared their love of laughter, gardening, lifelong learning and traveling.
Sheila was a friend and mentor to many. She had a knack for living in the moment and making people feel special. She was dearly loved and will be forever missed.
News-Gazette, The (Champaign-Urbana, IL)
Sheila Ann Ryan, 90, of Savoy, Illinois, died peacefully at home in the presence of her children on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020.
She was born on Aug. 3, 1930, in Pittsburgh, the daughter of Ona and John Ryan.
She is survived by her children, Katie Sardiñas and Monica, Paul, Vincent (Jessica) and Bernard (SangJin) Wiley and three stepchildren, Geoff, Bruce (Nancy) and Scott (Christin) Day. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Megan, Rachel and Alex Wiley and eight stepgrandchildren, Tom, Grace, Michael, Lindsey, Darby, Lucas, Lauren and Logan Day.
She was preceded in death by Tom Day, her husband of 31 years, and her eldest child, Frank Wiley.
After a two-year foray into nursing school and narrowly avoiding the convent, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Loyola University in Chicago. She met her first husband, Norbert Wiley, there. They married in 1954 and raised their six children together. In mid-life, while raising her family, she returned to school to earn a master’s degree in English.
Her career was varied, including teaching English in an alternative high school, environmental advocacy and protecting women from sexual violence. She settled on editing, first at the University of Illinois and ending her career with her own small business, TextWright.
She loved adventures and the outdoors, from dozens of solo flights over Chicago as a teen to world travels in later life, with many nature walks throughout. She was passionately involved in social causes, particularly the women’s rights movement. She was an avid reader with a special interest in history.
Her marriage to Tom Day brought joy to the final decades of her life. Partners in crime, together they shared their love of laughter, gardening, lifelong learning and traveling.
Sheila was a friend and mentor to many. She had a knack for living in the moment and making people feel special. She was dearly loved and will be forever missed.
News-Gazette, The (Champaign-Urbana, IL)
She was born on Aug. 3, 1930, in Pittsburgh, the daughter of Ona and John Ryan.
She is survived by her children, Katie Sardiñas and Monica, Paul, Vincent (Jessica) and Bernard (SangJin) Wiley and three stepchildren, Geoff, Bruce (Nancy) and Scott (Christin) Day. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Megan, Rachel and Alex Wiley and eight stepgrandchildren, Tom, Grace, Michael, Lindsey, Darby, Lucas, Lauren and Logan Day.
She was preceded in death by Tom Day, her husband of 31 years, and her eldest child, Frank Wiley.
After a two-year foray into nursing school and narrowly avoiding the convent, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Loyola University in Chicago. She met her first husband, Norbert Wiley, there. They married in 1954 and raised their six children together. In mid-life, while raising her family, she returned to school to earn a master’s degree in English.
Her career was varied, including teaching English in an alternative high school, environmental advocacy and protecting women from sexual violence. She settled on editing, first at the University of Illinois and ending her career with her own small business, TextWright.
She loved adventures and the outdoors, from dozens of solo flights over Chicago as a teen to world travels in later life, with many nature walks throughout. She was passionately involved in social causes, particularly the women’s rights movement. She was an avid reader with a special interest in history.
Her marriage to Tom Day brought joy to the final decades of her life. Partners in crime, together they shared their love of laughter, gardening, lifelong learning and traveling.
Sheila was a friend and mentor to many. She had a knack for living in the moment and making people feel special. She was dearly loved and will be forever missed.
News-Gazette, The (Champaign-Urbana, IL)
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