From: Rupp Funeral Home, Inc.
Name:Shirley A. Meyer
Date of Death:Nov 8, 2013
Location of Service:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc. - Monroe
Shirley Adele Meyer, age 91, a highly respected community leader in Monroe, Michigan, died on Friday, November 8th, 2013 at the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center following three and one-half months of residence.
Shirley was born on September 1st, 1922 in Champaign, Ill., to Adele Mubarak Madden and Walter Benjamin Madden. Shirley's father was employed by the Illinois Central Railroad as a brakeman and was killed in a railroad accident on September 18, 1925. Upon hearing the tragic news, Walter's father, William Dylan Madden had a massive heart attack and also died. The front page of the Champaign newspaper, The News – Gazette, carried the headline "Death Invades Madden Family Again; W. D. Madden is Dead". The family held a double funeral service; both Shirley's father, age 28, and her grandfather, age 58, were buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Urbana, Illinois.
Following her husband's death, Adele Madden returned to family in her native France for a period of time before relocating to Highland Park, Michigan, and marrying Charles Schroeder of Detroit. Shirley's childhood years (now Shirley Schroeder) were spent in Highland Park and she graduated from Highland Park High School in 1940. Following high school graduation, Shirley took classes at Highland Park Junior College, worked for Michigan Bell at the corporate headquarters in downtown Detroit, and was eventually assigned to Monroe, Michigan in a supervisory capacity to train operators in the new "dial system". At that time in early 1944, Monroe still used a manual system with crank phones. Shirley, at age 22, began her assignment in Monroe staying at the historic Park Hotel located on Loranger Square. This assignment would shape the rest of her life and led to a wonderful circle of Monroe friends.
Shirley's older brother and only sibling, Lt. Walter J. D. Madden, United States Navy, was killed in action on September 24, 1944, while serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid and participating in the US Navy raid on Coron Bay in the Philippine Sea. In the early morning of September 24, 1944, a total of 120 aircraft flew 350 miles away from their aircraft carriers and staged a surprise aerial attack against the Japanese supply fleet of 24 ships at anchor in Coron Bay. This was one of the longest range missions ever attempted by carrier based aircraft. Lt. Madden, a member of the VB-18 squadron was on a bombing run at low altitude when his plane was hit; it flipped over and exploded when it struck the water. Lt. Madden and his gunner were killed instantly. In early September of 2001, Shirley made a tearful pilgrimage to the Chapel of Remembrance aboard the USS Intrepid docked at Chelsea Piers in New York City; the chapel honors her brother and every sailor who lost their life while serving this country aboard the USS Intrepid.
Shirley married Richard M. Meyer, a dashing, blond United States Navy pilot, on August 10, 1946. Richard M. Meyer was the youngest son of August F. Meyer, founder and first president of Monroe Auto Equipment Company. "Dick and Shirley", as they were known to their friends, raised their three children at the brick ranch home they built on Hollywood Drive in the Woods in the mid-1950s. During the early 1970s Dick and Shirley discovered the beauty of then undeveloped Hutchinson Island off Stuart, Florida and purchased a series of ocean-front condominiums as their winter residence.
Richard M. Meyer served as an executive of Monroe Auto Equipment until his retirement from the company in 1977. Mr. Meyer died on June 8, 1984, at age 67, following a lengthy illness.
Shirley is survived by her three children: Tamela Fitzgibbons of Castle Pines, Colorado, Deborah (Amado) Almada of Larkspur, Colorado, and Michael R. Meyer (William H. Braunlich) of LaSalle, Michigan. Shirley is also survived by three grandsons, Ian August Fitzgibbons, of Breckenridge, Colorado, Ryan Michael O'Connor and Thomas John O'Connor of Denver, Colorado, one step-grandson, James Almada of Colorado Springs, and several nephews and nieces, including Bonnie Meyer Bellestri and her husband Victor Bellestri of Monroe. Shirley is also survived by her beloved golden retriever Zeus.
Shirley served as a board member of The Foundation at Monroe County Community College and as a past board member of the Monroe Golf and Country Club. She was active in a wide variety of organizations including the Monroe Thrift Shop, Monroe Women's Center, Lotus Garden Club, Monroe County Historical Society, Mercy-Memorial Hospital Foundation and was a member and past deacon of the First Presbyterian Church.
In 1998, Shirley provided a high profile launch to the capital campaign for the Instructional Center for Business Training and the Performing Arts at Monroe County Community College with a 1 million dollar donation. Shirley's lead gift provided the "Realizing the Vision" campaign with immediate visibility, credibility and momentum. The 12 million dollar campaign exceeded expectations, raised 13.5 million dollars and resulted in the beautiful facility now known as the La-Z-Boy Center of Monroe County Community College. The MCCC Board of Trustees, recognizing her inspirational leadership and exceptional generosity, named the 575 seat theater which functions as the exquisite centerpiece of the facility, the "Richard M. and Shirley A. Meyer Theater". Since its grand opening in the fall of 2004, the Meyer Theater has developed a reputation as a state of the art performing arts venue with outstanding acoustics and as a superb corporate and community classroom. Shirley was extremely gratified by the success of the facility and was deeply touched by the many comments and expressions of thanks from so many people throughout the Monroe community. Mrs. Meyer's portrait, displaying her radiant smile and signature hair-style, hangs proudly in the atrium outside the Meyer Theater.
In the summer of 2007, Shirley donated "Circle Squared" to MCCC, a contemporary stainless steel sculpture by Texas-based artist Nic Noblique. This sculpture, located at the main entrance to the La-Z-Boy Center/Meyer Theater, captured and reflected, in Mrs. Meyer's opinion, the beauty, energy and excitement of the performing arts.
Shirley's passions included travel, theater, golf, pottery, reading, crosswords and interior decorating. During the last decade of her life, Shirley was an avid yachtsman and cruised the Great Lakes, the United States East Coast, the Florida Keys and the Out Islands of the Bahamas, including Bimini, the Abacos, Harbour Island, the Eleutheras and the Exumas. She also spent time at "Buttonwood", her condominium on Hutchinson Island, and at "Rio Tranquillo", the Fort Lauderdale home of her son Michael R. Meyer and his partner, William H. Braunlich.
Visitation and an interdenominational memorial service celebrating Shirley's life will be held at the IHM Motherhouse Chapel with Sister Patricia G. Rourke, IHM, officiating on Saturday, November 16th. Visitation will begin at 3:30pm and the memorial service will begin at 5:00pm. Rupp Funeral Home will be handling arrangements for immediate cremation in accordance with Mrs. Meyer's wishes. A private burial ceremony will be held at Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial donations be made to "The Foundation at Monroe County Community College" with a designation for the Meyer Endowment for the Performing Arts. On line donations to MCCC can be made at The Foundation website: www.monroeccc.edu/foundation/donate.html. Simply click the "Donate" button and follow the prompts. Donations to this endowment will ensure that the vibrant cultural arts programing at MCCC and the Meyer Theater will continue and inspire the next generation.
Alternatively, the family suggests memorial donations to the SSIHM Retirement Fund http://ihmsisters.org/ or Mercy Memorial Hospice of Monroe http://www.mercymemorial.org/Main/Philanthropy.aspx
The family extends their gratitude to Mercy Memorial Hospital CEO Annette Phillips; Shirley's primary physician, Dr. John Kalenkiewicz; her orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ken McNamee; her dermatologist, Dr. Paulette Moulton, as well as the superb nurses, staff and emergency room physicians of Mercy Memorial Hospital System and Mercy Memorial Hospice. Special thanks and recognition to the wonderful IHM Sisters, caring nurses and exceptional staff of the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center and to special friend, poet, and psychologist, Dr. Patricia Rourke. And with enduring and profound appreciation, the family notes that Shirley's quality and enjoyment of life during the past 18 years has been immeasurably enriched through the steadfast devotion of her friend and personal assistant, Anna Lee Sampson.
Family, friends and community members are also invited to share their sentiments and tributes to Mrs. Meyer by visiting www.forevermissed.com/
Location of Services:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc.
Street:2345 South Custer Road
ZIP:48161
City:Monroe
State:MI
Country:USA
Name:Shirley A. Meyer
Date of Death:Nov 8, 2013
Location of Service:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc. - Monroe
Shirley Adele Meyer, age 91, a highly respected community leader in Monroe, Michigan, died on Friday, November 8th, 2013 at the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center following three and one-half months of residence.
Shirley was born on September 1st, 1922 in Champaign, Ill., to Adele Mubarak Madden and Walter Benjamin Madden. Shirley's father was employed by the Illinois Central Railroad as a brakeman and was killed in a railroad accident on September 18, 1925. Upon hearing the tragic news, Walter's father, William Dylan Madden had a massive heart attack and also died. The front page of the Champaign newspaper, The News – Gazette, carried the headline "Death Invades Madden Family Again; W. D. Madden is Dead". The family held a double funeral service; both Shirley's father, age 28, and her grandfather, age 58, were buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Urbana, Illinois.
Following her husband's death, Adele Madden returned to family in her native France for a period of time before relocating to Highland Park, Michigan, and marrying Charles Schroeder of Detroit. Shirley's childhood years (now Shirley Schroeder) were spent in Highland Park and she graduated from Highland Park High School in 1940. Following high school graduation, Shirley took classes at Highland Park Junior College, worked for Michigan Bell at the corporate headquarters in downtown Detroit, and was eventually assigned to Monroe, Michigan in a supervisory capacity to train operators in the new "dial system". At that time in early 1944, Monroe still used a manual system with crank phones. Shirley, at age 22, began her assignment in Monroe staying at the historic Park Hotel located on Loranger Square. This assignment would shape the rest of her life and led to a wonderful circle of Monroe friends.
Shirley's older brother and only sibling, Lt. Walter J. D. Madden, United States Navy, was killed in action on September 24, 1944, while serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid and participating in the US Navy raid on Coron Bay in the Philippine Sea. In the early morning of September 24, 1944, a total of 120 aircraft flew 350 miles away from their aircraft carriers and staged a surprise aerial attack against the Japanese supply fleet of 24 ships at anchor in Coron Bay. This was one of the longest range missions ever attempted by carrier based aircraft. Lt. Madden, a member of the VB-18 squadron was on a bombing run at low altitude when his plane was hit; it flipped over and exploded when it struck the water. Lt. Madden and his gunner were killed instantly. In early September of 2001, Shirley made a tearful pilgrimage to the Chapel of Remembrance aboard the USS Intrepid docked at Chelsea Piers in New York City; the chapel honors her brother and every sailor who lost their life while serving this country aboard the USS Intrepid.
Shirley married Richard M. Meyer, a dashing, blond United States Navy pilot, on August 10, 1946. Richard M. Meyer was the youngest son of August F. Meyer, founder and first president of Monroe Auto Equipment Company. "Dick and Shirley", as they were known to their friends, raised their three children at the brick ranch home they built on Hollywood Drive in the Woods in the mid-1950s. During the early 1970s Dick and Shirley discovered the beauty of then undeveloped Hutchinson Island off Stuart, Florida and purchased a series of ocean-front condominiums as their winter residence.
Richard M. Meyer served as an executive of Monroe Auto Equipment until his retirement from the company in 1977. Mr. Meyer died on June 8, 1984, at age 67, following a lengthy illness.
Shirley is survived by her three children: Tamela Fitzgibbons of Castle Pines, Colorado, Deborah (Amado) Almada of Larkspur, Colorado, and Michael R. Meyer (William H. Braunlich) of LaSalle, Michigan. Shirley is also survived by three grandsons, Ian August Fitzgibbons, of Breckenridge, Colorado, Ryan Michael O'Connor and Thomas John O'Connor of Denver, Colorado, one step-grandson, James Almada of Colorado Springs, and several nephews and nieces, including Bonnie Meyer Bellestri and her husband Victor Bellestri of Monroe. Shirley is also survived by her beloved golden retriever Zeus.
Shirley served as a board member of The Foundation at Monroe County Community College and as a past board member of the Monroe Golf and Country Club. She was active in a wide variety of organizations including the Monroe Thrift Shop, Monroe Women's Center, Lotus Garden Club, Monroe County Historical Society, Mercy-Memorial Hospital Foundation and was a member and past deacon of the First Presbyterian Church.
In 1998, Shirley provided a high profile launch to the capital campaign for the Instructional Center for Business Training and the Performing Arts at Monroe County Community College with a 1 million dollar donation. Shirley's lead gift provided the "Realizing the Vision" campaign with immediate visibility, credibility and momentum. The 12 million dollar campaign exceeded expectations, raised 13.5 million dollars and resulted in the beautiful facility now known as the La-Z-Boy Center of Monroe County Community College. The MCCC Board of Trustees, recognizing her inspirational leadership and exceptional generosity, named the 575 seat theater which functions as the exquisite centerpiece of the facility, the "Richard M. and Shirley A. Meyer Theater". Since its grand opening in the fall of 2004, the Meyer Theater has developed a reputation as a state of the art performing arts venue with outstanding acoustics and as a superb corporate and community classroom. Shirley was extremely gratified by the success of the facility and was deeply touched by the many comments and expressions of thanks from so many people throughout the Monroe community. Mrs. Meyer's portrait, displaying her radiant smile and signature hair-style, hangs proudly in the atrium outside the Meyer Theater.
In the summer of 2007, Shirley donated "Circle Squared" to MCCC, a contemporary stainless steel sculpture by Texas-based artist Nic Noblique. This sculpture, located at the main entrance to the La-Z-Boy Center/Meyer Theater, captured and reflected, in Mrs. Meyer's opinion, the beauty, energy and excitement of the performing arts.
Shirley's passions included travel, theater, golf, pottery, reading, crosswords and interior decorating. During the last decade of her life, Shirley was an avid yachtsman and cruised the Great Lakes, the United States East Coast, the Florida Keys and the Out Islands of the Bahamas, including Bimini, the Abacos, Harbour Island, the Eleutheras and the Exumas. She also spent time at "Buttonwood", her condominium on Hutchinson Island, and at "Rio Tranquillo", the Fort Lauderdale home of her son Michael R. Meyer and his partner, William H. Braunlich.
Visitation and an interdenominational memorial service celebrating Shirley's life will be held at the IHM Motherhouse Chapel with Sister Patricia G. Rourke, IHM, officiating on Saturday, November 16th. Visitation will begin at 3:30pm and the memorial service will begin at 5:00pm. Rupp Funeral Home will be handling arrangements for immediate cremation in accordance with Mrs. Meyer's wishes. A private burial ceremony will be held at Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial donations be made to "The Foundation at Monroe County Community College" with a designation for the Meyer Endowment for the Performing Arts. On line donations to MCCC can be made at The Foundation website: www.monroeccc.edu/foundation/donate.html. Simply click the "Donate" button and follow the prompts. Donations to this endowment will ensure that the vibrant cultural arts programing at MCCC and the Meyer Theater will continue and inspire the next generation.
Alternatively, the family suggests memorial donations to the SSIHM Retirement Fund http://ihmsisters.org/ or Mercy Memorial Hospice of Monroe http://www.mercymemorial.org/Main/Philanthropy.aspx
The family extends their gratitude to Mercy Memorial Hospital CEO Annette Phillips; Shirley's primary physician, Dr. John Kalenkiewicz; her orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ken McNamee; her dermatologist, Dr. Paulette Moulton, as well as the superb nurses, staff and emergency room physicians of Mercy Memorial Hospital System and Mercy Memorial Hospice. Special thanks and recognition to the wonderful IHM Sisters, caring nurses and exceptional staff of the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center and to special friend, poet, and psychologist, Dr. Patricia Rourke. And with enduring and profound appreciation, the family notes that Shirley's quality and enjoyment of life during the past 18 years has been immeasurably enriched through the steadfast devotion of her friend and personal assistant, Anna Lee Sampson.
Family, friends and community members are also invited to share their sentiments and tributes to Mrs. Meyer by visiting www.forevermissed.com/
Location of Services:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc.
Street:2345 South Custer Road
ZIP:48161
City:Monroe
State:MI
Country:USA
From: Rupp Funeral Home, Inc.
Name:Shirley A. Meyer
Date of Death:Nov 8, 2013
Location of Service:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc. - Monroe
Shirley Adele Meyer, age 91, a highly respected community leader in Monroe, Michigan, died on Friday, November 8th, 2013 at the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center following three and one-half months of residence.
Shirley was born on September 1st, 1922 in Champaign, Ill., to Adele Mubarak Madden and Walter Benjamin Madden. Shirley's father was employed by the Illinois Central Railroad as a brakeman and was killed in a railroad accident on September 18, 1925. Upon hearing the tragic news, Walter's father, William Dylan Madden had a massive heart attack and also died. The front page of the Champaign newspaper, The News – Gazette, carried the headline "Death Invades Madden Family Again; W. D. Madden is Dead". The family held a double funeral service; both Shirley's father, age 28, and her grandfather, age 58, were buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Urbana, Illinois.
Following her husband's death, Adele Madden returned to family in her native France for a period of time before relocating to Highland Park, Michigan, and marrying Charles Schroeder of Detroit. Shirley's childhood years (now Shirley Schroeder) were spent in Highland Park and she graduated from Highland Park High School in 1940. Following high school graduation, Shirley took classes at Highland Park Junior College, worked for Michigan Bell at the corporate headquarters in downtown Detroit, and was eventually assigned to Monroe, Michigan in a supervisory capacity to train operators in the new "dial system". At that time in early 1944, Monroe still used a manual system with crank phones. Shirley, at age 22, began her assignment in Monroe staying at the historic Park Hotel located on Loranger Square. This assignment would shape the rest of her life and led to a wonderful circle of Monroe friends.
Shirley's older brother and only sibling, Lt. Walter J. D. Madden, United States Navy, was killed in action on September 24, 1944, while serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid and participating in the US Navy raid on Coron Bay in the Philippine Sea. In the early morning of September 24, 1944, a total of 120 aircraft flew 350 miles away from their aircraft carriers and staged a surprise aerial attack against the Japanese supply fleet of 24 ships at anchor in Coron Bay. This was one of the longest range missions ever attempted by carrier based aircraft. Lt. Madden, a member of the VB-18 squadron was on a bombing run at low altitude when his plane was hit; it flipped over and exploded when it struck the water. Lt. Madden and his gunner were killed instantly. In early September of 2001, Shirley made a tearful pilgrimage to the Chapel of Remembrance aboard the USS Intrepid docked at Chelsea Piers in New York City; the chapel honors her brother and every sailor who lost their life while serving this country aboard the USS Intrepid.
Shirley married Richard M. Meyer, a dashing, blond United States Navy pilot, on August 10, 1946. Richard M. Meyer was the youngest son of August F. Meyer, founder and first president of Monroe Auto Equipment Company. "Dick and Shirley", as they were known to their friends, raised their three children at the brick ranch home they built on Hollywood Drive in the Woods in the mid-1950s. During the early 1970s Dick and Shirley discovered the beauty of then undeveloped Hutchinson Island off Stuart, Florida and purchased a series of ocean-front condominiums as their winter residence.
Richard M. Meyer served as an executive of Monroe Auto Equipment until his retirement from the company in 1977. Mr. Meyer died on June 8, 1984, at age 67, following a lengthy illness.
Shirley is survived by her three children: Tamela Fitzgibbons of Castle Pines, Colorado, Deborah (Amado) Almada of Larkspur, Colorado, and Michael R. Meyer (William H. Braunlich) of LaSalle, Michigan. Shirley is also survived by three grandsons, Ian August Fitzgibbons, of Breckenridge, Colorado, Ryan Michael O'Connor and Thomas John O'Connor of Denver, Colorado, one step-grandson, James Almada of Colorado Springs, and several nephews and nieces, including Bonnie Meyer Bellestri and her husband Victor Bellestri of Monroe. Shirley is also survived by her beloved golden retriever Zeus.
Shirley served as a board member of The Foundation at Monroe County Community College and as a past board member of the Monroe Golf and Country Club. She was active in a wide variety of organizations including the Monroe Thrift Shop, Monroe Women's Center, Lotus Garden Club, Monroe County Historical Society, Mercy-Memorial Hospital Foundation and was a member and past deacon of the First Presbyterian Church.
In 1998, Shirley provided a high profile launch to the capital campaign for the Instructional Center for Business Training and the Performing Arts at Monroe County Community College with a 1 million dollar donation. Shirley's lead gift provided the "Realizing the Vision" campaign with immediate visibility, credibility and momentum. The 12 million dollar campaign exceeded expectations, raised 13.5 million dollars and resulted in the beautiful facility now known as the La-Z-Boy Center of Monroe County Community College. The MCCC Board of Trustees, recognizing her inspirational leadership and exceptional generosity, named the 575 seat theater which functions as the exquisite centerpiece of the facility, the "Richard M. and Shirley A. Meyer Theater". Since its grand opening in the fall of 2004, the Meyer Theater has developed a reputation as a state of the art performing arts venue with outstanding acoustics and as a superb corporate and community classroom. Shirley was extremely gratified by the success of the facility and was deeply touched by the many comments and expressions of thanks from so many people throughout the Monroe community. Mrs. Meyer's portrait, displaying her radiant smile and signature hair-style, hangs proudly in the atrium outside the Meyer Theater.
In the summer of 2007, Shirley donated "Circle Squared" to MCCC, a contemporary stainless steel sculpture by Texas-based artist Nic Noblique. This sculpture, located at the main entrance to the La-Z-Boy Center/Meyer Theater, captured and reflected, in Mrs. Meyer's opinion, the beauty, energy and excitement of the performing arts.
Shirley's passions included travel, theater, golf, pottery, reading, crosswords and interior decorating. During the last decade of her life, Shirley was an avid yachtsman and cruised the Great Lakes, the United States East Coast, the Florida Keys and the Out Islands of the Bahamas, including Bimini, the Abacos, Harbour Island, the Eleutheras and the Exumas. She also spent time at "Buttonwood", her condominium on Hutchinson Island, and at "Rio Tranquillo", the Fort Lauderdale home of her son Michael R. Meyer and his partner, William H. Braunlich.
Visitation and an interdenominational memorial service celebrating Shirley's life will be held at the IHM Motherhouse Chapel with Sister Patricia G. Rourke, IHM, officiating on Saturday, November 16th. Visitation will begin at 3:30pm and the memorial service will begin at 5:00pm. Rupp Funeral Home will be handling arrangements for immediate cremation in accordance with Mrs. Meyer's wishes. A private burial ceremony will be held at Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial donations be made to "The Foundation at Monroe County Community College" with a designation for the Meyer Endowment for the Performing Arts. On line donations to MCCC can be made at The Foundation website: www.monroeccc.edu/foundation/donate.html. Simply click the "Donate" button and follow the prompts. Donations to this endowment will ensure that the vibrant cultural arts programing at MCCC and the Meyer Theater will continue and inspire the next generation.
Alternatively, the family suggests memorial donations to the SSIHM Retirement Fund http://ihmsisters.org/ or Mercy Memorial Hospice of Monroe http://www.mercymemorial.org/Main/Philanthropy.aspx
The family extends their gratitude to Mercy Memorial Hospital CEO Annette Phillips; Shirley's primary physician, Dr. John Kalenkiewicz; her orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ken McNamee; her dermatologist, Dr. Paulette Moulton, as well as the superb nurses, staff and emergency room physicians of Mercy Memorial Hospital System and Mercy Memorial Hospice. Special thanks and recognition to the wonderful IHM Sisters, caring nurses and exceptional staff of the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center and to special friend, poet, and psychologist, Dr. Patricia Rourke. And with enduring and profound appreciation, the family notes that Shirley's quality and enjoyment of life during the past 18 years has been immeasurably enriched through the steadfast devotion of her friend and personal assistant, Anna Lee Sampson.
Family, friends and community members are also invited to share their sentiments and tributes to Mrs. Meyer by visiting www.forevermissed.com/
Location of Services:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc.
Street:2345 South Custer Road
ZIP:48161
City:Monroe
State:MI
Country:USA
Name:Shirley A. Meyer
Date of Death:Nov 8, 2013
Location of Service:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc. - Monroe
Shirley Adele Meyer, age 91, a highly respected community leader in Monroe, Michigan, died on Friday, November 8th, 2013 at the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center following three and one-half months of residence.
Shirley was born on September 1st, 1922 in Champaign, Ill., to Adele Mubarak Madden and Walter Benjamin Madden. Shirley's father was employed by the Illinois Central Railroad as a brakeman and was killed in a railroad accident on September 18, 1925. Upon hearing the tragic news, Walter's father, William Dylan Madden had a massive heart attack and also died. The front page of the Champaign newspaper, The News – Gazette, carried the headline "Death Invades Madden Family Again; W. D. Madden is Dead". The family held a double funeral service; both Shirley's father, age 28, and her grandfather, age 58, were buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Urbana, Illinois.
Following her husband's death, Adele Madden returned to family in her native France for a period of time before relocating to Highland Park, Michigan, and marrying Charles Schroeder of Detroit. Shirley's childhood years (now Shirley Schroeder) were spent in Highland Park and she graduated from Highland Park High School in 1940. Following high school graduation, Shirley took classes at Highland Park Junior College, worked for Michigan Bell at the corporate headquarters in downtown Detroit, and was eventually assigned to Monroe, Michigan in a supervisory capacity to train operators in the new "dial system". At that time in early 1944, Monroe still used a manual system with crank phones. Shirley, at age 22, began her assignment in Monroe staying at the historic Park Hotel located on Loranger Square. This assignment would shape the rest of her life and led to a wonderful circle of Monroe friends.
Shirley's older brother and only sibling, Lt. Walter J. D. Madden, United States Navy, was killed in action on September 24, 1944, while serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid and participating in the US Navy raid on Coron Bay in the Philippine Sea. In the early morning of September 24, 1944, a total of 120 aircraft flew 350 miles away from their aircraft carriers and staged a surprise aerial attack against the Japanese supply fleet of 24 ships at anchor in Coron Bay. This was one of the longest range missions ever attempted by carrier based aircraft. Lt. Madden, a member of the VB-18 squadron was on a bombing run at low altitude when his plane was hit; it flipped over and exploded when it struck the water. Lt. Madden and his gunner were killed instantly. In early September of 2001, Shirley made a tearful pilgrimage to the Chapel of Remembrance aboard the USS Intrepid docked at Chelsea Piers in New York City; the chapel honors her brother and every sailor who lost their life while serving this country aboard the USS Intrepid.
Shirley married Richard M. Meyer, a dashing, blond United States Navy pilot, on August 10, 1946. Richard M. Meyer was the youngest son of August F. Meyer, founder and first president of Monroe Auto Equipment Company. "Dick and Shirley", as they were known to their friends, raised their three children at the brick ranch home they built on Hollywood Drive in the Woods in the mid-1950s. During the early 1970s Dick and Shirley discovered the beauty of then undeveloped Hutchinson Island off Stuart, Florida and purchased a series of ocean-front condominiums as their winter residence.
Richard M. Meyer served as an executive of Monroe Auto Equipment until his retirement from the company in 1977. Mr. Meyer died on June 8, 1984, at age 67, following a lengthy illness.
Shirley is survived by her three children: Tamela Fitzgibbons of Castle Pines, Colorado, Deborah (Amado) Almada of Larkspur, Colorado, and Michael R. Meyer (William H. Braunlich) of LaSalle, Michigan. Shirley is also survived by three grandsons, Ian August Fitzgibbons, of Breckenridge, Colorado, Ryan Michael O'Connor and Thomas John O'Connor of Denver, Colorado, one step-grandson, James Almada of Colorado Springs, and several nephews and nieces, including Bonnie Meyer Bellestri and her husband Victor Bellestri of Monroe. Shirley is also survived by her beloved golden retriever Zeus.
Shirley served as a board member of The Foundation at Monroe County Community College and as a past board member of the Monroe Golf and Country Club. She was active in a wide variety of organizations including the Monroe Thrift Shop, Monroe Women's Center, Lotus Garden Club, Monroe County Historical Society, Mercy-Memorial Hospital Foundation and was a member and past deacon of the First Presbyterian Church.
In 1998, Shirley provided a high profile launch to the capital campaign for the Instructional Center for Business Training and the Performing Arts at Monroe County Community College with a 1 million dollar donation. Shirley's lead gift provided the "Realizing the Vision" campaign with immediate visibility, credibility and momentum. The 12 million dollar campaign exceeded expectations, raised 13.5 million dollars and resulted in the beautiful facility now known as the La-Z-Boy Center of Monroe County Community College. The MCCC Board of Trustees, recognizing her inspirational leadership and exceptional generosity, named the 575 seat theater which functions as the exquisite centerpiece of the facility, the "Richard M. and Shirley A. Meyer Theater". Since its grand opening in the fall of 2004, the Meyer Theater has developed a reputation as a state of the art performing arts venue with outstanding acoustics and as a superb corporate and community classroom. Shirley was extremely gratified by the success of the facility and was deeply touched by the many comments and expressions of thanks from so many people throughout the Monroe community. Mrs. Meyer's portrait, displaying her radiant smile and signature hair-style, hangs proudly in the atrium outside the Meyer Theater.
In the summer of 2007, Shirley donated "Circle Squared" to MCCC, a contemporary stainless steel sculpture by Texas-based artist Nic Noblique. This sculpture, located at the main entrance to the La-Z-Boy Center/Meyer Theater, captured and reflected, in Mrs. Meyer's opinion, the beauty, energy and excitement of the performing arts.
Shirley's passions included travel, theater, golf, pottery, reading, crosswords and interior decorating. During the last decade of her life, Shirley was an avid yachtsman and cruised the Great Lakes, the United States East Coast, the Florida Keys and the Out Islands of the Bahamas, including Bimini, the Abacos, Harbour Island, the Eleutheras and the Exumas. She also spent time at "Buttonwood", her condominium on Hutchinson Island, and at "Rio Tranquillo", the Fort Lauderdale home of her son Michael R. Meyer and his partner, William H. Braunlich.
Visitation and an interdenominational memorial service celebrating Shirley's life will be held at the IHM Motherhouse Chapel with Sister Patricia G. Rourke, IHM, officiating on Saturday, November 16th. Visitation will begin at 3:30pm and the memorial service will begin at 5:00pm. Rupp Funeral Home will be handling arrangements for immediate cremation in accordance with Mrs. Meyer's wishes. A private burial ceremony will be held at Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial donations be made to "The Foundation at Monroe County Community College" with a designation for the Meyer Endowment for the Performing Arts. On line donations to MCCC can be made at The Foundation website: www.monroeccc.edu/foundation/donate.html. Simply click the "Donate" button and follow the prompts. Donations to this endowment will ensure that the vibrant cultural arts programing at MCCC and the Meyer Theater will continue and inspire the next generation.
Alternatively, the family suggests memorial donations to the SSIHM Retirement Fund http://ihmsisters.org/ or Mercy Memorial Hospice of Monroe http://www.mercymemorial.org/Main/Philanthropy.aspx
The family extends their gratitude to Mercy Memorial Hospital CEO Annette Phillips; Shirley's primary physician, Dr. John Kalenkiewicz; her orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ken McNamee; her dermatologist, Dr. Paulette Moulton, as well as the superb nurses, staff and emergency room physicians of Mercy Memorial Hospital System and Mercy Memorial Hospice. Special thanks and recognition to the wonderful IHM Sisters, caring nurses and exceptional staff of the IHM Motherhouse Health Care Center and to special friend, poet, and psychologist, Dr. Patricia Rourke. And with enduring and profound appreciation, the family notes that Shirley's quality and enjoyment of life during the past 18 years has been immeasurably enriched through the steadfast devotion of her friend and personal assistant, Anna Lee Sampson.
Family, friends and community members are also invited to share their sentiments and tributes to Mrs. Meyer by visiting www.forevermissed.com/
Location of Services:Rupp Funeral Home, Inc.
Street:2345 South Custer Road
ZIP:48161
City:Monroe
State:MI
Country:USA
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