Shirley Rowe Myer

Shirley Jeanne Rowe was born in Terre Haute, Indiana on April 7, 1928. Shirley was a sickly baby and the doctor offered to adopt her to care for her. Her parents, Elza D Rowe and Stella Mae (Grider) Rowe firmly passed on that offer. Shirley went on to be such a robust and active child that her many uncles called her “Flip” because she was always skipping, running, or climbing, causing her skirts to flip. Shirley was a self-proclaimed tomboy that played kickball, tackle football, and was very proud that she could keep up with or outrun most of the boys in the neighborhood.

She attended Garfield High School in Terre Haute, where she met the love of her life, Walter Andrew Myer. Two weeks after graduation, Walt enlisted in the Army and served as a paratrooper. Their romance blossomed as Walt wrote to Shirley daily, except for a three-day card game and a two-week period during which time he sheepishly admitted he had been in the officers’ club building model airplanes. Meanwhile, Shirley attended Indiana State Teachers College and was a member of the Kappa Kappa sorority. During this time, she also had a good job as the administrator in a small office where she kept track of railroad cars, tankers, and boxcars. Upon completing her college degree, Shirley taught second grade.

Shirley and Walt married on March 28, 1948, once he returned from military service. After Walt completed his college degree, Shirley turned her focus to starting a family. They lived in Cincinnati for nine years, where their first three children were born. Walt’s employer, General Electric/Honeywell transferred him to Phoenix in 1961. Shirley liked to tell the story of completing the final leg of the move driving through Flagstaff and on to Phoenix in their Rambler station wagon, arriving in the middle of the summer during the heat of the day, with no air conditioning and three children under the age of eight plus their dog, a 45-pound boxer. That same day, a monsoon storm arrived, and the next-door neighbor hustled over to tell Shirley to quickly close all the windows before the preceding wall of dust rolled in before the rain. She wondered “what kind of hell” they had just moved to. It was not long, however, before Shirley grew to love the Arizona desert and the varied climate and elevation changes. In retirement, Shirley and Walt loved to explore the Southwest in their fifth wheel trailer.

Shirley was an active member of First United Methodist Church of Phoenix and lived a life of service. She dedicated much of her time to supporting church youth programs and trips, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League, softball teams, soccer teams, basketball teams, choral programs, and just about anything needing assistance at Orangewood Elementary or Washington High School. In fact, Shirley formed the parent-teacher organization at Orangewood, served as president, and was awarded a plaque for seventeen continuous years serving the PTO. When her youngest child, Linda, was in high school, Shirley returned to the workforce as the secretary for the Central West District of the United Methodist Church for 12 years.

Shirley’s passion was music. In her own words: “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t sing. I sang the first time in public when I was three. I was put upon a table at my dad’s Elks Lodge and sang some songs.” Shirley started with the cornet and played the saxophone for four years but quickly realized that she loved singing much more. She sang all through grade school, high school, and college – duets and solos, school and church choirs, class musicals, and even some radio performances. The Myer car was full of singing while driving to visit family in Terre Haute, Mishawaka, and St. Louis. Much later she enjoyed singing with Sweet Adelines.

Shirley was preceded in death by her beloved Walt and her sister Vivian. She is survived by her five children: Jeff (Jeanine), Ellen (Kevin), Amy (Rob), David (Nancy), and Linda in addition to eight grandchildren: Ash (Bre), Jenni (Danny), Mark, Alexandria (Kevin), Kristen (Christian), Kelly (Cassidy), Olivia, and Alyssa, plus four great-grandchildren: Rowe, Brooklyn, Julian, and Annie.

The family will hold a private gathering to celebrate Shirley and Walt’s eternal reunion. Rather than condolences, the family requests that you share your favorite stories and memories here on her obituary.

Memorial contributions in memory of Shirley may be made to Hospice of the Valley.