Susan K Calhoun

Susan K. (Dille) Calhoun, 70, of Ottawa, IL, passed away Monday, January 16, 2023 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center with her family by her side. 

Visitation will be held at Ottawa Funeral Home from 3-6 P.M. on Friday, January 27, 2023.  A  memorial service will follow from 6 to 6:30 P.M. with Father Wilson officiating. Burial will take place at a later date in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, where Susan will join her husband. 

Susan was born on October 16, 1952, in Streator, IL, to Robert and Elizabeth (Seaman) Dille.  She married William "David" Calhoun on April 29, 1972 at St. Patrick's Church in Ottawa.  Together they celebrated 44 years of marriage before his passing in October of 2016. 

Susan was a dedicated wife and mother with a love of sewing and helping others in her years of raising her three daughters.  She was an accomplished seamstress and provided childcare out of her home while raising her own small children.  When her children were a bit older, Susan began work at Ottawa Community Hospital, aiding in patient care for 17 years when she enrolled in the nursing program at IVCC, becoming a registered nurse.  She remained at the hospital for 2 years before continuing her nursing career at the Sheridan Correctional Center where she retired from after providing ten years of nursing care.

Aside from her work in a field that provides care for others when they are not at their best, Susan was a giver, a person who would give to others even when she didn't have much herself.  She was always putting others first and when her grandchildren came along, this giving and generosity continued on, leaving no doubt in how much she loved them.   Susan will be remembered as a woman who truly did have a heart of gold.     

Susan is survived by daughters, Kelly Gonda of Colorado, Kimberly (Ryan) Calhoun-Hamer of Ottawa, and Karla (Chad) Rowe of Arizona; grandchildren, Kira, Finn, Mylah, Maylee, and Makswell.                         

Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Elizabeth; her in-laws, William J. and Virginia; her husband, David; and her grandson, Zachary Bickett.          

Memorials may be directed to Marquette Elementary School.

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