Shirley loved her family, her friends, her church, and her work family.  She entered this life on July 22, 1936, as the first born of Geneva and Harry Kirchberg in Akron, Ohio. She entered eternal rest on September 12, 2024 after spending the day surrounded by her family.

She grew up in Akron, and at an early age contracted polio.  Her love of baseball came as a result of the daily exercises to strengthen her legs by playing pitch and catch with Dad. She worked hard at overcoming obstacles, a lesson she carried throughout her life.

She attended Mt. Vernon Academy where her classmates recognized her leadership ability by electing her their class vice-president in her junior and senior years. She attended Washington Adventist University, then studied radiation technology at City Hospital in Cleveland.  She worked for Wooster Community Hospital before moving to Dayton to work at the newly built Kettering Hospital. She continued her education into radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and also conducted research into the effect of scattered radiation doses to critical organs during pediatric radiotherapy. This research was then published in scientific journals for others to learn safe effective radiotherapy dosing for young children.

She retired as the Department Head after 38 years of service at Kettering Health to return to Wooster to become an active member of the “village” raising her two great-nephews. She attended all their school, sporting, band and orchestra activities throughout their school years, and loved every minute.

She was a life-long member of the Seventh-Day Adventist churches in Kettering and Wooster, where she was deeply involved holding positions of Head Deaconess, soup kitchen volunteer, church liaison, Outreach, and numerous other committees.  She had the ability to lead and persuade others to accomplish the goals of those committees.  It was often stated that if something needed done, ask Shirley.

She was pre-deceased by her parents and sister Midge (Gary) Halderman and leaves behind to cherish her memory her sister Lynn (Dave Beckett) Bauer, her nieces Valerie (Dan) Rowe, Sharon (Joel) Schmidt and their sons Caleb and Cameron.

As per her wishes, a Celebration of Life service will be held Sunday, October 13 at 3:00 p.m. at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 445 N. Bever St. Wooster, Ohio conducted by her long-time friend and spiritual mentor, Pastor Lori Farr.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Wooster Community Hospital/TCU and The Avenue for their care and support, and especially the nurses of Ohio’s Hospice Life Care for their 24-hour care in her final days.

McIntire, Bradham & Sleek Funeral Home, 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster is assisting the family.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, 1900 Akron Rd. Wooster, OH 44691; or the Wayne County Humane Society, 1161 Mechanicsburg Rd, Wooster, OH 44691 to honor her love of animals.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mcintirebradhamsleek.com