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- Obituary of Michelle Marie Siuta
Michelle Marie Siuta was strong, creative, smart, thoughtful, honest and fun loving. Her energy could light up any room. She was a beautiful soul, inside and out. Born on November 16, 1984 to parents Paul and Ailleen (Romney) Siuta, of Sanborn, NY. Michelle was one of eight children and survived by her parents and siblings: Renée Siuta, Janelle Siuta, Jonathan (Shannon) Siuta, Colleen (Jon) Gebauer, Rachel (Ryan) Becken and Elizabeth (Andrew) Perry. Her brother Stephen W. Siuta passed away in 2004. In addition to being a wonderful daughter and sister, she was a loving aunt to: Kaelyn Siuta Singer, Rylan Siuta, Hunter Gebauer and Amelia Perry. Beloved Godmother to Kaelyn Siuta Singer and Gavin Garneret. Michelle passed away on April 11, 2020 at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, while undergoing a double organ transplant for a kidney and liver. Michelle grew up on her family's farm where she helped plant and harvest crops, in addition to selling products such as pumpkins, apples, corn and freshly pressed cider at their farm stand. While in high school, she also worked for a local dairy where she helped milk cows.Michelle had a thirst for knowledge, which was woven through all aspects of her life. From a formal education perspective, she was an exceptional student throughout primary school and went on to earn an Associates of Arts in Humanities and Social Sciences from Niagara County Community College in 2004, a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, with a minor in Education from the University at Buffalo in 2006, and a Bachelor's of Science in Civil Engineering from the University at Buffalo in 2011. While attending the University at Buffalo, Michelle was a member of the Math Club and held the office of Secretary in 2004 and 2005, and Vice President in 2006. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and has taken the oath of The Order of the Engineer.Michelle started her professional career as a Draftswoman for Landmark Land Surveying Co. She then went to work for the New York State Department of Transportation as a Transportation Construction Inspector. She expanded on her formal engineering training by becoming certified in Concrete Testing and Soil Testing through the State. She managed projects such as bridge replacements and roadway reconstruction; where she was responsible for overseeing and inspecting assigned projects, reviewing construction plans, coordinating with other inspectors and ensuring structural integrity. Due to Michelle's health concerns, she was forced to cut her engineering career short. She had a gift for problem solving and design, which she parlayed into working as an independent IT Consultant, providing the flexibility needed to make her health a priority.
Over the past 6-months Michelle participated in Cornell Cooperative Extension's Beginning Farmer Training Program, where she completed 100 hours of community service on local farms and attended courses to receive a certification in Market Gardening. Market Gardening entails the intense production and sale of high-value crops. Her goal was to gain personal experience in crop production, a deeper understanding of farm management, and the entrepreneurial skills to positively contribute to her family's existing farm. Michelle had also hoped to leverage the business skills learned through this program, to open her own creative studio. She was incredibly passionate about the Arts, and longed for the opportunity to create every day. She enjoyed all mediums; especially painting, drawing and ceramics. Her love of the Arts also encompassed music. She played the flute, piano and guitar, but was most well known for her tambourine! She always seemed to break it out at just the right moment, to brighten the mood and make people laugh. Michelle enjoyed learning about different cultures and did so through the study of Taekwondo, dance, becoming fluent in French and being a member of the University at Buffalo's Polish Club, which afforded her the opportunity to backpack throughout Europe. She had hoped to travel extensively and explore the world, when her health allowed. She absolutely loved to dance and enjoyed going to social clubs to practice her favorites - Salsa, Bachata and Merengue. From an early age Michelle took an interest in learning and mastering the games of soccer and basketball. She played competitively through her college years and then in clubs as an adult. She shared her passion of soccer with children by coaching youth soccer for PAL and NWAA, where some of her most valued players were her three younger sisters: Colleen, Rachel and Elizabeth. Most recently she could be found on the sidelines, cheering on her niece Kaelyn, who shares her love of basketball and nephew Rylan, who shares her love of soccer.Michelle gave back to the community by being an advocate for the American Porphyria Foundation and serving on a board to educate pharmaceutical companies about the impacts of the disease. She was a volunteer Firefighter with Bergholz Fire Company from 2006 through 2018, where she held the office of Secretary in 2010. She also completed Niagara County Sheriff's Civilian Police Academy in 2016.Michelle's faith in God was unwavering. As the guiding tenant in her life, it helped her to persevere, despite the health struggles she faced. She refused to let them define her and accomplished many great things in her short lifetime. Since Michelle was always authentically herself, we thought it would be best to close with her own words: "Dreams are nothing if not fulfilled, they're only visions that appear. All your hopes and all your might, could be washed away just like a tear. Nothing more, nothing less, it's so easy to lose your way. But if you're strong and don't give up, you will live your dreams someday." – Michelle M. SiutaHere's to Michelle, our strong warrior who never gave up and fought until her very last breath. Forever in our hearts. We love you!Private Mass of Christian Burial & Burial took place at the convenience of the family. A Celebration of Michelle's Life will be held at a later date to be announced.
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1984 - 2020 (35 years)