Susan Jane Shields

Susan Jane Shields, 60, of Ames, died at home on November 4, 2013, surrounded by her loving family, following an 18-month battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held in Susan’s memory on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at 3 PM at Stevens Memorial Chapel, 607 25th Street in Ames.

Susan was born October 3, 1953, in Grand Junction, Colorado. She married John “Pat” Shields on March 18, 1978 in Denver, Colorado and together they raised two children, Sabrina and Patrick. She did everything for her children—from being the “room mom” in their elementary school classrooms to leading her daughter’s Girl Scout troop to being president of the PTO. She loved the holidays and frequently threw holiday block parties to celebrate Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and Christmas. She wanted her children to experience magic in their lives, and she always went the extra mile to make holidays and birthdays special and magical.

The Shields family moved to Ames in August 1989, and Susan worked for several years as a secretary in the Attendance/Dean’s Office at Ames High School. She was well-loved, by staff and teachers, but especially by the students. She made an extra effort to be kind to everyone, and she became a mentor to many. She has been called, “My 2nd mom,” “my school mom,” “the only person who was nice to me in high school,” etc. She stayed in touch with many of the students, whom she called “my kids.” These relationships were very important to her.

After leaving Ames High, she stayed home to help raise her grandchildren, who were the joy of her life. She was the world’s best Nana—she made their Halloween costumes every year, baked cookies with them, played Play Doh, and created her own special summer “camps” where they studied different countries and cultures.

She was a member of the Philips ATA Black Belt Academy, where she was a 1st degree black belt and was known as the “ATA Mom.” She was also an advocate for victims of domestic violence and volunteered at the Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support (ACCESS) for many years. She loved animals and fostered animals in need as well as being an excellent “mom” to her own three dogs.

Susan is survived by her husband Pat; daughter Sabrina (Nathan) Shields-Cook; son Patrick Shields; grandchildren Alexander, Madelyn, and Genevieve Cook; sister Kelley (Len) Rice; brother-in-law Thomas Shields; and many dear friends. Her fourth grandchild, Theodore Cook, is due in February 2014. She was preceded in death by her mother, Beatrice Grubesic, parents-in-law Thomas and Madelyn Shields, and brothers-in-law Kevin and James Shields.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting contributions for a memorial bench to be installed at Brookside Park in Susan’s honor. On-line condolences may be expressed at www.StevensMemorialChapel.com.