THE VILLAGES, Fla. – Susan Jay Matheson Lyles, 65, of The Villages, Fla., passed away Aug. 9, 2020, after an intense battle with colon cancer.

Born in Waterville on June 24, 1955, Sue was the daughter of the late Delbert D. Matheson and Thelma P. Matheson. Sue grew up in Waterville as the third child out of four in her family. In high school, she fell in love with languages and competed on the Spanish debate team. Sue graduated from Waterville High School in 1973 and attended Bucknell University where she graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish.

After graduating from Bucknell, Sue moved to Washington, D.C. to live with her brother and sister-in-law while attending travel school. She worked as a travel agent for two years before joining Airline Tariff Publishing Company in November of 1979 as a junior tariff compiler. After working for ATPCO for 34 years, Sue retired as a product specialist in 2013.

She married Donald Lyles in 1981, and they lived together in Herndon, Va., for 30 years before relocating to The Villages in Florida.

Sue is survived by her husband, Donald; and her three daughters, Amanda Lyles, of Seoul, South Korea, Jo Lyles Jones and her husband Shane Jones, of Stafford, Va.; MollyJane Connor and her husband Ethan Connor, of Charleston, S.C.; and her two grandchildren, Raina and Ryder Jones. She is also survived by her mother, Thelma of Waterville; her brother, Delbert “Don” Matheson and his wife Jenelle of Fort Collins, Colo., his sister, Jane Matheson of Biddeford, and her sister, Deborah M. Fabian and her husband Mark Fabian of Oak Hill, Va. Sue was immensely proud of her family and leaves behind nothing but beautiful memories.

Sue was described by people who knew her as a kind woman with a wonderful heart. She was quick-witted and always blew everyone out of the water while watching Jeopardy. Sue loved returning to Maine, especially in the summer. The lake in Maine with her family was her favorite place to be. She could float in the lake for hours and enjoyed listening to the loons at night. In Florida, she enjoyed many activities including book club, mahjong, trivia night at World of Beer, and especially golf with the Hollywood group.

The family plans to bury her in Mount Comfort Cemetery in Alexandria, Va., and also to scatter some of her ashes at her family’s camp on the lake in Maine. A burial ceremony will be planned for next year when all family and friends can safely attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that people send memorial donations in Sue’s name to support colon cancer research or to Maine Audubon to preserve Maine’s wildlife and environment.