Rosemary Anne "Rose" (Lisy) Satterfield

Rosemary Anne “Rose” (Lisy) Satterfield, age 71, of Ewing, Illinois, passed away after a sudden, three-week battle with coronavirus on Sept. 30, 2021, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon, Illinois. 

Born July 28, 1950, in Joliet, Illinois, to Anton and Mary (Plechacek) Lisy, Rose attended Ss. Cyril and Methodius Grade School and graduated from Joliet Central High School. She later moved to Morris, Illinois, where she lived for many years working as a lab technician at Metro Rubber as well as working nights tending bar. She was immensely proud of her work ethic and was a valued employee wherever she worked. Her job with Metro took her to Thompson, Illinois, where she met and married her husband Tom. With Tom, she moved to Newark, New York, then Muscatine, Iowa, before settling in Ewing. She always found work immediately upon landing in a new home and held a variety of jobs; when jobs were scarce, she got her Commercial Driver’s License and spent many years as a long-haul trucker before retiring. She loved trucking, seeing the country and meeting new people. Nobody was a stranger to Rose.

Rose’s hobbies were many: pets, cooking, baking, gardening, travel, fishing and shopping (especially bargain-hunting). She always had at least one pet dog in tow, taking her dogs on the road trucking with her; they were part of her family. She was an avid cook, baker and gardener. She loved nothing more than a big event when she could shower family and friends with an abundance of delectable treats. She was especially known for her cookies, cakes and cheesecakes. Holiday gatherings were hugely anticipated by all, including her church family during her retirement years. Rose enjoyed travel, managing several trips to Europe and around the U.S. with family and friends, and she was planning a trip with Tom to Alaska in their motor home. In contrast to being with people, Rose also loved the solitude and peace of fishing and would often go off with her pooches or maybe her father-in-law Louis to fish at Rend Lake or Lake Shelbyville.

Rose was admired for making lemonade out of lemons -- her family recalls the time she had a (very uncommon) flop with fudge that wouldn’t set. She told the kids it was “finger fudge,” and everyone remembers the kids (and adults) dipping in with their fingers. She was fantastic with kids and could distract a crying toddler in a heartbeat, making up a new rhyme or activity like “jump, jump off the big fat stump…”  

In spite of living with cancer for over ten years, it showed no signs of slowing her down. Rose was vibrant and active, going on a vacation with her dear friend Alby Binu this July and a fishing trip this August with her brother and cousins; we anticipated many more years and vacations with her when she was unexpectedly infected with coronavirus, even though she was vaccinated. Her family wants everyone to know that COVID-19 is serious and real, and that it has taken Rose from us much too soon. Nobody is going to be able to fill her size 11’s, and we will miss her and her huge, kind and generous heart forever.

Rose is survived by her beloved husband Tom of Ewing; her brother Raymond (Sandy) Lisy; sister Pat Lawrence; and brother Joe Lisy, all of Morris; sister-in-law Barbara Lisy of Crest Hill, Illinois; sister-in-law Dolores of North Aurora, Illinois; mother-in-law Phyllis Satterfield and sister-in-law Karen Satterfield, both of Shelbyville, Illinois; Daniel (Dawn) Satterfield of Tennessee; and Diane Bester of Plano, Illinois. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews: Beverlee (Michael) Dallmann of Lemont, Illinois; Bill (Wanda) Steele of Morris; Cheryl Lisy of Crest Hill; Deborah (Matthew Tischer) Lisy of Joliet; Debbie Rucker and Sherry (Rick) Fraser of Ontario, Canada; Tracy (Daryl) Fisher of Geneva, Illinois; Beth Ann (Chad) Bigler of Shellsburg, Iowa; John (Latoya) Lisy of Plano; Jennifer Lisy of Tomah, Wisconsin; Raymond (Angie) Lisy of Joliet; Alex Satterfield of Sandwich, Adam Satterfield, Barbara (Robert) Travis of Shelbyville; Jennifer Satterfield of Decatur, Annie Bester of Plano; and numerous great nieces, great nephews and cousins who all adored her.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Anthony and Edward Lisy; one sister, Mary Ann Lisy; much-loved father-in-law and fishing partner, Louis Satterfield; brother-in-law Jim Lawrence; and brother-in-law David Bester.

Special thanks to the compassionate nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital who looked after her and ensured that Rose did not spend her final days and moments alone.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, October 5th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Johnston Funeral Home, Ina, Illinois, followed by a service at 11. Interment will follow immediately at Thurmond Cemetery, Ewing. The family asks that everyone in attendance wear a mask. Pallbearers will be Tom Satterfield, Ray Lisy, Joe Lisy, Bill Steele, Michael Fisher and Mike Hollman. 

In Rose’s memory, please get vaccinated, wear a mask in public and take COVID-19 seriously. This sickness is real; it hastened her death.

Please visit www.johnstonfuneralhome.com where you can share a favorite memory or leave your condolences.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.