Susan Gail (Shay) Montminy

Susan Gail (Shay) Montminy, 78, formally of Westford, MA, and most recently a resident of Life Care Center of Merrimack Valley, Billerica, passed away peacefully on April 23, 2020 after a lengthy illness. Susan was born in Lowell, MA, daughter of Lt. Edward "Jack" Shay and Mildred (Leigh) Shay, and grew up in Lowell and Chelmsford, MA. She graduated from Chelmsford High School in 1959, and went on to attend college at Boston University, where she pursued a degree in English. After marrying, and moving to many locations across the country, she eventually settled in Westford, MA in 1974, where she raised her four daughters, Karin, Jackie, Kristin and Amy. When Susan returned to the workforce, she was hired as a waitress at the Old Oaken Bucket in Westford, later working at several companies in the fields of office administration, financial analysis, and human resources. She eventually retired from Nortel Networks in 2009. It was through her work experiences that she first met her lifelong friends, Collette Carson and Shari Matthews, and their families. They remained true friends and continued a very special bond throughout the remainder of Susan's life. A member of West Chelmsford United Methodist Church since 1988, Susan valued time spent volunteering for numerous community organizations. She especially loved volunteering at Westford Senior Center, working with the other ladies in Trudy's boutique, and was extremely proud of her work with Alternative House, a shelter for battered women in Lowell. Susan had abundant talents, among them writing poetry, cooking, gardening, home decorating, and especially, gift-giving. Susan's kind spirit and laughter filled any space with love, and her goal was always to connect with people. She loved spending time with her family, dear friends, and the many fur babies she shared her home with over the years, especially her beloved cat companion, Starry Night. She will always be remembered for her love of singing and dancing, especially accompanied by her favorite artist, Elvis Presley. Any chance she got, Susan took advantage of a good bowl chocolate ice cream, being outdoors, and sitting on her deck listening to the birds sing. Susan was predeceased by her loving parents, and is survived by her four daughters, Karin Allard and her husband Jon, Jacqueline French and her husband Paul, Kristin Wells and her husband Peter, and Amy Montminy and her partner Yaron; six beautiful grandchildren, Robert, Edie, Emma, Abigail, Jack, and Julia; her sisters Meredith Meckley, and Martha Shay Steele and her husband, Alfred Taylor; her Aunt Joan and Uncle Johnny Cash, her Uncle Robert "Bobby" Leigh, stepsons John and Scott Montminy, many special nieces and nephews, and of course, many dear friends. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, initial services will be private. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at a later date to be announced. For those wishing, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Susan's memory to Cameron Senior Center, 20 Pleasant St., Westford, MA, 01886.