Sue (Susan) Rattray Coats Mangler

Sue (Susan) Rattray Coats Mangler of Savanna passed away on Monday, September 11th after her second battle with breast cancer. She was born August 24, 1959 in Elgin, IL, and while she lived her younger years in Algonquin, she visited Mount Carroll often to see her grandparents and eventually graduated from Mount Carroll High School in the class of 1977.

Sue’s life was full of adventure and she lived most of her life in Illinois or Idaho (including several cross country moves with her car loaded full of personal belongings, kids, and/or friends). She met some of her dearest Idaho friends while teaching aerobics and working at the Olive Garden; she returned to her friends and family in Illinois permanently in the mid-90s where she managed the local Happy Temps office, served as a billing clerk for the City of Savanna for more than a decade, and most recently was a server at Cafe Crumbles. She thrived when working in the service industry due to her love of people.

Sue was best known for her smile and her outgoing personality - she never met a stranger, and (if there had been a contest) she would have won the "Most Popular" award in every stage of her life. She was the kind of person everyone in the room wanted to hang out with - she made you feel cool just by being her friend. Every person you ask will have a different story about a different Sue (or Susan... depending on when you met her)... but they will all involve her smile, her laugh, and her fun-loving spirit.

She found her happiness in her children and Jesus. Her greatest joy was spending time with her granddaughters - all of her kids agree, one would be hard pressed to find a grandparent as interested or loving as she was with her girls. Sue will be remembered as a loving Mom (who worried and cared so deeply), Nana, and friend. Her faith in Jesus served as an inspiration to those around her and gave her peace in her final days.

Sue is survived by her children, Faere (Brad) Watson, Parma, ID, Jordan Speer, Chicago, IL, and Charlotte Thomas, Platteville, WI, her mother, Janet Rattray, Savanna, IL, her sisters, Linda (Jim) Froy, Highland Park, IL, Jennifer (Brady) Neumann, CO, and her stepmother, Marilyn Rattray, Ocala, FL. She is further survived by two granddaughters, Jane and Anne, her closest friend, Marsha (Mark) Flickinger, Thomson, IL and many friends and family members. She is preceded in death by her son, Eric Coats, her father, Lee Rattray, and her first husband, Daniel Coats.

A memorial open house to celebrate Sue’s life will take place on Saturday, October 14th from 2:00-4:00pm, with a time of sharing at 3:30pm, at the Naaman Diehl Auditorium, Mt. Carroll, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in remembrance of Sue Mangler to CGH Health Foundation, 100 E LeFevre Rd, Sterling, IL 61081 or online at www.cghmc.com/foundation or plant some Brown-Eyed Susan flowers in your garden and think of her in the spring (even though her eyes were blue).