Passed away on a Monday, January 20, 2020. She was 84 years old. Mom met her husband Harry at a U.S.O. Dance in Denver, Colorado. They both traveled to the Phillipines for over a year, then back to Lowry A.F.B. in Denver. Along the way, shirley had three kids, Robert, Debra and Donna. Harry was then stationed in Grand Forks,
A.F.B. North Dakota, and retired to Novato, CA.
Shirley lived in Novato for over 59 years. She studied to be a nurse and upon graduation worked for over 40 years. Shirley loved helping people. She soon discovered, that the patients she took care of could be real characters. On one occasion, Shirley had a patient named Carl. Carl used to be a coal miner and he loved to smoke. Every week, the nurse's stations would report their cigarettes being stolen. Sometimes they would accuse
one another of taking the cigarettes. Until one day. My mom went into her patient Carls' room and saw the trunk, that he never opened, now open. There inside were cigarettes of all kind and packages half full. Carl had taken all the nurses cigarettes over a period
of years for his own use. Mom informed the other nurses and they all laughed a long time, because they liked Carl and they never thought he was the one to take their cigarettes.
My mom loved the human side of nursing, when people would get better and share a few laughs along the way. We will all miss you Mom. Shirley leaves behind, her brother Jim Coppfer, two daughters, Debra and Donna Young from Novato and nieces and nephews
from Denver and Littleton Colorado. Also our grey cat named Otter. Her husband, Harry and son Robert preceded her on their way to Heaven.
In Lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Larkspur Hospice or the Whistlestop in San Rafael, where Mom had many happy times.
