Shirley Marie Pomering

94, passed from this life in the early morning hours of August 28, 2021. Shirley was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 28, 1926 to Edward and Martha Stevens. She married Don, her high school sweetheart, in 1946 and they had three sons (David, Eric, and John) and two daughters (Linda and Carol).

Shirley spent her entire youth in Detroit and was a lifelong supporter of the city, its sports teams, and its many attractions. She pursued college classes at Wayne State University before focusing her energies on their growing family and house moves through the midwest and east to keep up with Don’s engineering career. After several years, the family moved back to Detroit and Shirley immersed the family in the schools, church, neighborhood, sports, and arts of the city. She took the kids to numerous Tigers games, DIA events, Belle Isle walks, zoo visits, Hudson’s shopping – and many summer travels to the shores of the Great Lakes. Shirley was known to bring cribs along on camping trips and had several babes in diapers (with no bathrooms) on some of those beautiful primitive vacations! While Shirley had several occupations through her life, her greatest and continuing occupation was “homemaker”. Jackson became home to Shirley, Don, and family at several points in their life, and it became their retirement home for the past 30 years. They loved Jackson’s golfing, lakes, and wildlife, as well as their many friendships through church, golf, neighborhood, and work.

Shirley instilled in all her kids the importance of loyalty to family and friends. Shirley cared for her ailing mother for many years with never a complaint and always a happy, conversational dinner table. Shirley had a great wit and humor, and an infectious smile and laughter that continued into her last weeks. Her wit came out in the many games she enjoyed playing and winning – pinochle, bridge, rummy, and scrabble. She had a close-knit group of friends from junior high and high school that continued passing “chain letters” to one another, sharing their experiences – into their 90’s.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Don, parents Edward and Martha Stevens, brother Sidney Stevens, first son David, and son-in-law Tim Palmer. Shirley is survived by her sons Eric (Connie) Pomering and John (Phyllis) Pomering; daughters Linda Palmer and Carol (Stephen) Miller; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Visitation & Service will be Friday September 3, with visitation starting at Noon and service at 1:00 pm. Both will be at St. James Lutheran Church – Jackson, Michigan. Internment ceremony will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery chapel. For those interested in donating in Shirley’s name, please consider St. James Lutheran Church, Salvation Army, Humane Society, or any cause of your choice.