Sue Carol (Coughenour) Gross, 95, died on Oct. 27, 2023. Her roots were in Benton, Illinois, where she was born in 1928. Her mother, Edith, was one of 11 siblings which meant many aunts, uncles, cousins and large family gatherings. Her father died when she was 7, which prompted her to relocate to Riverside with Sue and her younger brother, Jim, to begin a new chapter.
Sue and her husband met in high school, when Agnes Clarke and Dorothy Gross set them up for a summer date that started the lifelong romance.
In Riverside, she was involved in the library, garden club, Riverside Presbyterian Church, and Riverside Golf Club. Her bridge club girls meant the world to her.
The family tradition at “College Camp” on Geneva Lake fostered long-lasting closeness for their family and cemented deep Riverside family friendships.
Sue was the wife of Schofield Brewster Gross Jr., “Scuff,” for 65 years. She felt deep gratitude for her community of Riverside neighbors, friends, and family. In 2013 she and Scuff moved to Plymouth Place in LaGrange Park, where they sparked another close circle of friends.
They raised three daughters in their Lawton Road home, Connie Sue (Michael) Schmidt, Cindy Gross, and Christy Lee (Martin) Muse. She was the grandmother of six, Michael (Nikki), Robyn (Jeremy), Sarah (Jamie), Daniel (Korneilja), David and Dexter; and great-grandmother of five, Rowen, Allie, Kalvis, Žemyna, and John Schofield.
The family will host a visitation at Ivins/Moravecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St. in Riverside from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3. A memorial service will take place at 1 p.m., followed by a reception at the Chew Chew in Riverside.
Donations in her honor will be appreciated at Riverside Presbyterian Church.
