Elizabeth Shinall

ELIZABETH "LIZ" SHINALL

Coralville

Elizabeth A. "Liz" Shinall, 46, died Thursday, July 28, 2016, at her home in Coralville surrounded by family.

Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Lensing's Oak Hill, 210 Holiday Rd., Coralville. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery, Coralville. Visitation will be Tuesday from 2 to 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers and plants, the family kindly requests memorial contributions be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Liz was born June 11, 1970, in Denver, Colo., the daughter of Loren Gruber and Irene (Olson) Snuggs. She graduated from Indianola High School in 1988. After high school, Liz briefly attended Central College before enlisting in the U.S. Army. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1995, with a bachelor's degree in biology. She earned a master's degree in geoscience from the University of Iowa in 2000. She worked for the Iowa Geological Survey on water quality issues in the state before she decided to return to school to pursue her passion in nursing. She earned a master's degree in nursing and health care practice in 2006 and a master's degree in nursing in 2013, both from the University of Iowa. She had worked at the VA medical center in Iowa City since 2006.

She married John Toussaint on March 2, 2013, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.

Liz will be remembered as a loving mother, wife and friend, who had an infectious smile, outgoing personality and a great sense of humor. She enjoyed spending time outdoors flying kites, birdwatching and visiting national parks. She was an avid sports fan who loved the Hawkeyes and collected baseballs from visits to Major League baseball stadiums.

Though her life was too short, she has had a great impact on her loved ones. This is especially true for her daughter, Maddi, who embodies many of the wonderful qualities of her mother.

She is survived by her husband, John Toussaint; daughter, Maddi Shinall of Coralville; her mother and stepfather, Irene (Gary) Snuggs of The Villages, Fla.; brother, Stephen (Marjorie) Wilkinson-Gruber of Marion; sister, Margaret (John) Crawford of West Des Moines; mother- and father-in-law, Le and David Toussaint of Willow Springs, Mo.; stepbrother and stepsisters, Brian (Tammy) Snuggs of Chariton, Debra Conner of West Des Moines, Sherrill (Douglas) Skinner of Newton and Cyndi (Roger) Watts of Hartford; her close friend, John Dawson of Coralville; and many nieces and nephews.

Liz was preceded in death by her father, Loren Gruber.