Susan Evelyn Schellhas, 61, of Stratford, CT, passed away on August 19th, 2025.

Born August 23rd, 1963, in New Haven, CT, she was well known as "Sue" to all those who loved and befriended her. Sue is survived by her husband, Raymond, her daughters Cassandra and Jessica, son-in-law Zachary, and siblings, Kathy, Karl, and Jon.  Sue is predeceased by her parents, Carl and Marie Evans.

Sue's childhood in North Haven, CT, was filled with cherished memories alongside her three siblings. They found joy in playing cards together, inventing their own games and words, and jamming to vinyl records. The bond they shared extended to their beloved family dog, Heidi, who brought them protection and companionship. Sue also loved playing softball and volleyball, and spent many warm summers swimming in a lake in Vermont.

Sue went on to attend Quinnipiac College (now Quinnipiac University), and not only obtained a degree in computer science, but also met the love of her life, Raymond Schellhas, while hiking up Sleeping Giant Mountain. After graduating from college, Ray left Sue a love letter with the option to meet him at the castle on top of Sleeping Giant, only if she wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. That beautiful moment, sealed with a "sure," would forever solidify their love, and they got married in 1989, surrounded by their beloved friends and family.

Sue launched her successful career with Textron, where she thrived in her role and did such important work that she was sent overseas to teach computer programming in Europe. She even had the opportunity to ride in an M1 Abrams tank, which she wrote the computer programming for. Being an expert programmer and a wonderful wife wasn’t all she wanted, and Sue was incredibly excited to take on the role of being a mom. She would take a break from the workforce to stay home and read stories, play with Easy Bake ovens, sing lullabies, and dance away the days with her two daughters, Cassandra and Jessica.

Once her children were older, she would return to the workforce, first as a librarian and then as a computer teacher at St. Mark's School. There, she instilled a love of learning into her students, working with the teachers to reinforce their lessons in creative and fun ways through computers. Sue finished her career as a data analyst for the puzzle book company, Penny Publications, tracking numbers and creating programs that efficiently and magically organized crazy spreadsheets into working order.

After retiring, Sue embraced a vibrant life filled with new passions, discovering a love for monarch butterflies, birding, tag sale hunting, musicals and plays, shopping, gardening, and photography. Sue became so skilled in nature photography that she even won a photo competition at the Beardsley Zoo, competing against dozens of other entries. Additionally, her work was featured multiple times at the Open Door Tea Shop in Stratford.

Never letting a smile fade, Sue brought light, warmth, and laughter to any room. She was an incredibly giving and selfless person, often surprising those she loved with a thoughtful little gift or a batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies. Her home was always filled with soundtracks from musicals or upbeat songs to sing to, a movie to quote back and forth, or a spontaneous line dance to the "Cupid Shuffle." Every holiday, no matter how minor, was celebrated with passion and fun. She had a policy of "Mi Casa, Sue Casa" for anyone who visited, making you feel welcomed and loved. Sue could make anyone’s darkest day a little brighter.

Sue will be missed beyond measure, and her memory lives on in every hummingbird you see, butterfly passing by, and that warm ray of sunshine that kisses your cheek.

The family welcomes all those who shared a loving connection with Sue to join us at her Celebration of Life at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo on Saturday, October 18th, from 11:00am to 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations to the CT Beardsley Zoo, which she loved and visited often, can be made here: https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/…

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/susan-schellhas/obituary/

Copy