FORT MYERS, Fla. - Lucy Ann (Brown) Sloan, died peacefully in her home in Fort Myers, Florida, on Oct. 28, 2025. Her beloved husband William "Bill" Pautler (originally from Chester, Illinois) cared for her beautifully during an extended illness over the last 8 months of her life. Despite being bed-bound and in hospice, she continued to brighten the lives of her family, friends, and caretakers through the end of her time in this world. Her soul has moved out of her physical form, but it will continue to bless the many people who knew and loved her.

Lucy was born to Leo and Mary Brown on May 12, 1939, in Carbondale. She adored her parents, siblings Jerry, MaryAlice, and Dorothy, and extended family. Family was so important to Lucy. She lovingly reminisced about her life and antics with her family while camping, spending time at their cabin on Kentucky Lake, and traveling the United States.

She graduated from Carbondale Community High School in 1957. She completed college in 1961 at Depauw University, Greencastle, Indiana, with a teaching degree and married her high school sweetheart, David shortly after.

She proudly taught school in Chicago and Denver while David pursued medical training. She and David welcomed Erik and Kirstin into the world and raised them in Herrin. Lucy was an amazing mom who immersed herself in activities such as leading Erik's Cub Scout troop and driving everyone to skate at The Great Skate Train on Saturday nights. She was one of the parents who actually was willing to do the midnight pickup in her big brown van.

Lucy returned to the workforce when David needed some assistance with his medical practice, and she helped him bring the first CT Scanner to Herrin. She thrived on doing the billing/accounting and talking with patients.

After David died in 1992, she reinvented herself again. She moved back to Carbondale and she had involvement with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, The Paul Simon Institute, SIU, and John A Logan among many other causes. She was honored in 2001 by DePauw for her extensive community involvement.

Lucy loved travel, and she and Bill had amazing adventures before and after their wedding in 2017. Even when she was unable to leave home towards the end, she and Bill enjoyed travel shows and shared stories of their worldwide travels.

Lucy was an incredibly loving and generous person. The people who were blessed with time at her bedside in her remaining months heard the pride in her voice about her upbringing, her work in education, her love for her life with David and raising kids in Southern Illinois and her deep appreciation of her caretakers and especially Bill. As one family friend said after her passing, she was truly one of a kind.

In lieu of flowers the family would love it if you considered making a donation to an education program of your choice.

Lucy is survived by her husband, William Pautler; son, Erik Sloan and wife Abby; daughter, Kirstin Kirschner and husband Brad; sister, Mary Alice Kimmel and husband Mike; sister, Dorothy Stoffel, Keith Stoffel; sister-in-law Norma Brown; grandchildren, Hannah Dion-Kirschner and husband Nick, Sophie Dion-Kirschner, and Ryen Kirschner.

Celebration of Life service on Friday May 8 at 1 PM at First Presbyterian Church in Herrin, Illinois. 421 N. 14th St.  Inurnment will follow at Herrin City Cemetery.  Memorial arrangements were entrusted to McCluskie Funeral Home in Herrin.  For more information please visit mccluskiemillerfh.com or call (618) 942-2020 .

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501 S. 12th, Herrin IL 62948
Tel: 1-618-942-2020
Email: mccluskiemiller@gmail.com
Web: http://mccluskiemillerfh.com