Shirley Mae Korpela

Our sweet, loving mother/grandmother, Shirley Mae (Hillard) Korpela, peacefully passed away June 7, 2020. Shirley was born May 1, 1930 in Flint, Michigan. Soon she and her family moved to Astoria, Oregon.

She graduated from Astoria High in 1948 and the University of Oregon in 1952. Shirley had a love of learning and was very social. During high school she was a student body officer for two years and active with many clubs and school plays. At the U of O Shirley thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority where she made many lifelong friends. Shirley was U of O class treasurer her freshman year and class secretary her junior year. She was a member of many organizations including Kwama, Phi Theta Upsilon, Mortar Board, Panhellenic, Gamma Alpha Chi, AGS, Phi Delta Kappa, Delta Kappa Gamma, and the school newspaper Emerald. Shirley loved college campus life.

On September 15, 1951, Shirley married her high school sweetheart William Korpela, her “Billy.” During their 59 years of marriage they lived in many cities including Coos Bay, Medford, Salem and the Woodburn Senior Estates. They visited many cities as well! Maps in hand, Shirley and Bill drove across the country several times exploring states on their way to Florida. They even had a part-time home at The Plantation at Leesburg. Shirley and Bill also loved to go to Reno, Laughlin, and Lake Tahoe to relax and visit the casinos. They cherished the years spent together and loved each other dearly.

When she was a kid, Shirley worked in a cannery in Astoria. After college Shirley worked as an educator and speech and hearing clinician. She taught in many school districts throughout her career, including Eugene, Coos Bay and Medford. She enjoyed helping her students and relished her friendships with colleagues. Shirley retired in 1991 in order to spend more time with her grandchildren. She was proud to be involved in their lives, especially in her granddaughter Amy’s upbringing.

Family was everything to Shirley, especially her two daughters and her two grandchildren. She meant a lot to her family and she loved being a mom and grandmother. She enjoyed time spent on camping trips, travel adventures, and lazy afternoons solving jigsaw puzzles and playing games. Shirley loved to play golf and enjoyed many years playing with Bill and watching golf both on TV and in person. She also enjoyed watching her grandchildren’s sporting events and attended them as often as she could! Near and dear to her heart was the Oregon coast. Shirley and Bill were founders of the family’s annual beach trip where the family would gather in the same beach house each summer for days filled with singing, dancing, seafood eating, beachgoing, campfire making, sandcastle building, and more!

Next to family, Shirley valued her many, many friendships! She kept in touch with high school and college friends and attended as many reunions as she could. She enjoyed playing bridge and golf, dancing in zumba classes and belly dancing, participating in the walking club, helping with the Woodburn Senior Estates library, and attending neighborhood parties. Shirley was an avid reader - consuming two newspapers a day and countless mystery novels. She loved sitting on her front porch swing visiting with neighbors and having happy hours. She enjoyed being outside in the sun and planting herbs and flowers in her garden.

Shirley was one-of-a-kind and filled with kindness, humor, courage, honesty, and warmth. She was also known for her quick wit and spunky personality. Shirley is survived by her daughters Linda (David) Vessey, and Mary (David) Aschenbrenner; grandchildren Rob (Edna) Vessey, and Amy Aschenbrenner; great grandchildren Ryder, Jaxson, and Sebastian Vessey, and Celynez and Aryana Gomez.

Shirley will be interred with her husband 1st Lt. William Korpela at Willamette National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society or World Wildlife Fund.