Sally Ann (Sisson) Terwilliger

Sally Ann Terwilliger, 84, of  Houghton Lake passed away on Sunday January 4, 2026 at the Grayling Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Sally was born on September 18, 1941 in Gaylord, Michigan to Kenneth and Delilah (Barker) Sisson. She grew up in the Gaylord area where she graduated from Gaylord High School.  She went on to attend Northern Michigan University. Sally moved to the Houghton Lake area from Gaylord in 1970.  She worked as a Secretary for the Department of Natural Resources in Roscommon for many years until her retirement.  She later worked at Skip's Lounge in Houghton Lake for several years. Sally was married on October 6, 1986 in Las Vegas, Nevada to Carl Terwilliger, who preceded her in death in 2005. In her younger years Sally was an accomplished competitive Skier, she later became a ski instructor. She was a member of the Houghton Lake Eagles and Houghton Lake Moose. Sally enjoyed golfing and playing cards, and would love going with her husband, Carl, on bus trips to the casino.

Surviving Mrs. Terwilliger are her two daughters, Deborah Swift of Gaylord, and Sandra (Robert) Tyo of Gaylord; four grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; two sisters, Sarah (John) Bagley of Garden, and Stena Travis of Marquette; brother, Steve (Donna) Sisson of FL; and two nephews. Sally was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Carl Terwilliger; and grandson, Brad Lennox. 

Funeral Services for Sally Ann Terwilliger will be conducted at 1:00 pm on Saturday January 31, 2026 from Christler Funeral Home-Houghton Lake Chapel with Rev. Joe Sereno officiating. Visitation will be held on Saturday January 31, 2026 from 11:00am to 1:00pm at Christler Funeral Home-Houghton Lake Chapel.  Memorial contributions in memory of Sally are asked to be directed to Hospice of Michigan. Christler Funeral Home, Houghton Lake Chapel is serving the family. Condolences can be sent to the family online at www.christler-holdship.com 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sally Ann (Sisson) Terwilliger, please visit our floral store.