Susan J. Petty

Susan J. Petty, 71, of Lake Placid, Florida, passed away after an extended illness early Wednesday morning September 17, 2014 at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Sebring. She was born January 22, 1943, in Shelbyville, the daughter of Frank and Helena (Reinhardt) Stine. On July 7, 1963, she married her husband of 51 years, Richard E. “Gene” Petty, and he survives. Other survivors include her daughter, Ashley C. Petty of Shelbyville; sons, Richard “Rich” Petty of Madison, Wisconsin and Timothy Joseph “TJ” Petty and wife, Sara, of Indianapolis; sister, Nancy Walts and husband, Jim, of Bonita Springs, Florida; grandson, Matthew Petty and Mitchell Petty; and four great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; and a daughter, Martha Jane Gemilli. Susan graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1961 and Elkhart University in Elkhart in 1963, as a medical laboratory technician. She was a member of First Christian Church in Shelbyville. Susan had been a part-time resident of Lake Placid for the past five years, previously she was an accountant in Shelbyville. She was a lifelong member of Girl Scouts of America. Susan enjoyed a good game of golf, fishing and loved spending time with family and friends, both in Shelbyville and Lake Placid. Private family graveside services will be observed at Forest Hill Cemetery in Shelbyville. A Celebration of Susan’s Life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, November 1, 2014 at The Fiddler’s Three, 1415 E. Michigan Road in Shelbyville. Services entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to the H.E.R.S. fund at the Blue River Community Foundation, 54 W. Broadway St., Shelbyville, Indiana 46176 in Susan’s memory. Susan and her sister established this fund in 2008 to support literacy efforts in Morristown, and specifically made the Dolly Parton Imagination Library possible for Morristown children. This program sends books to children in the mail every month from birth to age 5, creating a love of reading and learning at an early age. Memorial contributions may also be made to Girl Scouts of America, 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2798.