Shelley Schloss

Shelley Ann Schloss, beloved wife of Mark, mother of Matthew and Carrie (Rick Kelley), grandmother of Noa Kelley-Schloss, daughter of Valerie and Richard Weitz (both deceased), sister of Dr. Bruce Weitz (Dr. Marie Albano), beloved sister-in-law, aunt, cousin, and friend, passed away Monday, March 2nd, 2026, held in the arms of her family.

She emanated warmth, had an open loving heart, and found joy and beauty in every moment.

Shelley was born on April 17, 1955 in Cleveland, Ohio, and was raised in Shaker Heights. Her family was part of the Temple Tifereth Israel congregation (now Mishkan Or). She met her soul mate, Mark, in junior high school in Shaker Heights and they started dating after a Halloween Party she hosted when they were 16 years old. They graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1973, dated while attending college, and married in Cleveland in 1977. They had a beautiful marriage for 48 years.

Shelley studied graphic design at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she explored her creative ambitions in illustration, photography, and design. Her career as a graphic designer included artwork and logo design for the Cleveland Children’s Museum, Cleveland Cliffs Inc., Council Gardens, and culminated at the Cleveland Jewish News as their special editions designer for 10 years. Additionally, her beautiful hand-drawn calligraphy adorned thousands of wedding and Bar/Mat Mitzvah invitations. She and her dear friend Shelley Schulman created Shellebrations, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah decoration company.

Shelley volunteered as a docent at Kol Israel Foundation’s Face to Face, teaching children about the Holocaust. Shelley’s mother Valerie survived the Holocaust and together they shared their family’s story of hardship and survival to thousands of Cleveland-area students. Shelley was a devoted daughter and caretaker for her parents.

As a mother and grandmother, Shelley’s artistic and creative skills made every moment of every day an opportunity for adventure. She and her family travelled around the world, camping and hiking in dozens of national parks, conquering each mountain top, and relishing the beauty of the natural world. She pursued all kinds of exercise such as jogging, Nordic skiing, hiking with dogs, biking in the Metroparks, and classes at the JCC with unstoppable energy. Her love of the Earth led her to be an early environmentalist and a staunch advocate of recycling, collecting recyclables everywhere she went. She was a pioneer of the vegan lifestyle well ahead of her time and loved finding new recipes.

Shelley and Mark found paradise in Naples, Florida with their close knit community. Their retirement was filled with bike rides, Bocce games, canasta and Mah Jong games, Sunday beach gatherings, and their legendary annual Hanukkah parties.

Shelley loved being a grandmother and developed a special bond with her granddaughter Noa. Together they were two peas in a pod – they could often be seen driving Shelley’s scooter all around the neighborhood, and later having bike vs. wheelchair races. They played endlessly, pretending to be sisters who had adventures all over the world. This close bond was reminiscent of Shelley's close relationship to her grandmother Ella and illustrates the incredible generational connection from daughter to daughter to daughter to daughter. Shelley used her artistic skills to draw many family trees to illustrate her family’s history and relationships.

Shelley’s final years were challenging. Despite living with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) for nearly five years as she became completely paralyzed, she bravely chose to continue living her life to the fullest: travelling, social functions, card games, and celebrating milestones. Even in her struggles, she found the beauty in life and was only concerned with the welfare of her friends and family.

Funeral services will be held at 11am on Friday, March 6, at Mishkan Or (26000 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122). Interment will follow at Mayfield Cemetery (2749 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106). To view this service, please go to \https://www.mishkanor.org/worship/live-stream/. The family will receive friends following interment at Mishkan Or in the social hall between 2-4pm. Additional shiva will be the Schloss home (40 Hemlock Lane, Moreland Hills) on Saturday, March 7th from 7-9pm; Sunday, March 8th from 2-4pm and 7-9pm; and Monday, March 9th from 2-4pm and 7-9pm.

Shelley requested donations be made to Kol Israel Foundation’s Face To Face educational initiative and its newly established Shelley Weitz Schloss Memorial Fund. https://kifcle.org/donate

Professional services under the supervision of Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel.