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Isla Mae McManus Shouse, 97, a longtime resident of Tampa, FL passed peacefully at her daughter’s (Teresa) home in Winter Garden, FL on December 19, 2020. Isla was born in Palatka, FL to John Calvin and Estella Aurelia Baughman McManus, July 19, 1923. She attended Palatka High School and graduated in 1941. Isla grew up in rural Peniel, Florida where her family raised chickens and cows, grew their own vegetables, fruit, and pecans, and churned their own butter. Even during the hard times of the Great Depression, Isla had a happy childhood and was the youngest of four children by ten years. Often, when she met someone new she would describe herself as ‘Daddy’s baby,’ even into her 90’s. Isla would love to tell people how happy she was when her childhood home was wired for electricity and she no longer had to study by the light of an oil lamp. And happier still when the home was outfitted with indoor plumbing. From birth she attended and was a member of the family church, Peniel Baptist. Isla had a number of jobs during her lifetime, including stay-at-home mom. She fondly remembered her first job as a bookkeeper at the bank in downtown Palatka and especially enjoyed her days working at Mendenhall Elementary School in Tampa later in life. In 1955, Isla married Arthur Gladstone Shouse, Jr., the football coach at Palatka High School. Not long after marrying, Art accepted a new position and they moved to Tampa where they put down roots and raised their three children, John Arthur, Linda Lou, and Teresa Lynn (Tee). They built a house on Pine Lake in Forest Hills in 1965, and Isla loved her house from the day she moved in until the day she left 52 years later. Isla was widowed in 1975 and found herself challenged with working full-time, managing a household and raising three teenagers on her own. She was incredibly proud of her family and was overjoyed as the family grew, especially with the addition of her grandchildren -- Heather, Amanda, Caitlin, Andrew, and Matthew. She was later blessed with five great-grandchildren: Brighton, Libby, Parker, Lucy and Dallas. She loved, and could talk endlessly about her grandchildren -- and the grandchildren loved their Ma-Ma. Isla loved her church, Lake Carroll Baptist, and the Sunday School class ladies, some of whom were friends for over 50 years. She loved to garden and could make anything grow. She would rather be outside in her yard or on the front porch or in the backyard swing than inside the house. She loved butterflies and anything with a butterfly motif, and this was evident throughout her house. Isla loved shoes, clothes, and always wanted her hair done just right. She was a very good cook, and her fried chicken was the best! She also made great potato salad, baked beans, and banana pudding. Isla was a social butterfly, loved to talk and people were naturally drawn to her cheerful and witty disposition. She remembered everyone’s name wherever she went, and the joke around Pine Lake was that if you stopped by to say hello to Isla you would leave two hours later! She loved living independently in her own home, driving until she was 90 when she decided she needed to quit because her eyesight was failing. In her last days she remarked often that she was ready to go to her Heavenly Home. The last three years of her life she lived with daughter Teresa and family in Winter Garden where she was lovingly cared for. Throughout these three years she had many caregivers and we would like to thank them, especially the patience, love and care provided by Liz, Lilly, Nicole and Dorothy. Isla is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, her sister, Irene McManus, her sister and brother-in-law, Pauline and Joe Kindred, her brother and sister-in-law, Clyde and Elsie McManus, and son John Arthur Shouse. She is survived by her children: daughter, Linda Lou Hiznay (Tom), daughter, Teresa Lynn Simmons (Dan), and daughter-in-law, Joy Lynn Shouse; grandchildren: Heather Kidera (Tom), Amanda Cohen (Eric), Caitlin McDaniel (Joey), Andrew and Matthew Shouse, and her great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. Visitation starts at 10 AM, followed by a Celebration of Life at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 2, 2021 at Purpose Church Orlando (13640 W. Colonial Drive, #110, Winter Garden, FL 34787). Graveside services to be held at Lake Carroll Cemetery (corner of Myers Lane and N. Armenia Avenue, Tampa, FL 33612) on January 2, 2020 at 2:30 PM. Due to COVID, there will not be a reception following either service.

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Isla Mae Shouse

July 19, 1923 - December 19, 2020