Stoughton – Gillian (Jill) K Watrous Reedy, born January 4, 1957, in Whitewater, WI and died December 22, 2025 in Madison, WI. She is preceded in death by her parents Paul and Ethel (DeYoung) Watrous. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Michael A. Reedy and her brother John J. Watrous (Sue). Two nieces Sondra (Sonny) Sgagliardich of Providence, Rhode Island, and Taylor Lueras of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and four great nieces.
Jill graduated from UW Whitewater with a BA in music education and a plan to be a band teacher. Later she returned to UW Whitewater to work on a MA in music education to teach vocal music.
After settling in Stoughton, she was choir director at Covenant Lutheran and later at First Lutheran Church.
She is one of the founders and a regular director of Stoughton Festival Choir. Amongst her favorite pastimes she enjoyed playing French horn with the Stoughton City Band and ukulele with the Yahara Strummers.
Jill was a vocal music teacher at River Bluff and a general music teacher at Martin Luther Christian School. She may be best known as a private piano teacher for many years teaching from her little music studio in the back of their home.
Mike and Jill loved to travel with special destinations being Ireland, Scotland, Norway and Hawai’i.
Beading, knitting, crocheting and watching the birds were favorite pastimes. Mike and Jill filled their lives with many cats and dogs over the years, most recently the best border collie ever: Tamdhu and orange cat Nala. She especially loved watching and photographing the ducks, pelicans, egrets, geese, heron, osprey and eagles from her condo overlooking Paradise Pond.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH, 310 E. Washington St., Stoughton. There will not be a formal visitation but there will be a luncheon immediately following the service to which all are invited.
Cress Funeral & Cremation Service
206 W. Prospect, P.O. Box 231, Stoughton
(608) 873-9244
Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com
