Shirley Ann Drof, age 86, of Pinellas Park, Florida passed away on Saturday June 25, 2022 at the Suncoast Hospice Care Center. Shirley was born to Lester Lloyd Long and Elsie Margaret Long on December 15, 1934 in South Milford, Indiana. On July 11, 1954 she married her high school sweetheart, James William Drof in Bremen, Indiana.
She is preceded in death by father Lester Lloyd Long, mother Elsie Margaret Long, sister Dorothy Verda Pfeiffer, brother Robert Eugene Long, husband of 48 years James William Drof, and two sons Richard William Drof and Terry Lee Drof.
She is survived by her brother James Burton Long, five grandchildren Mary Katherine (Kate) Drof, Ryan James Drof, Cody Levi Drof, Lauren Nicole Drof, Heather Leola Keller, and four beloved great-grandchildren Milo James Pope, Lennon Ophelia Pope, Landon Wesley Keller and Haleigh Annmarie Keller.
She graduated from Bremen High School in 1952 and experienced life in many different states with her husband and children after that. She eventually became a permanent resident of Florida where she worked as a dedicated employee of State Farm for over 25 years.
Shirley was blessed with a loving family and enjoyed nothing more than spending quality time with them. She was passionate about politics and sports, and especially liked watching football, hockey, or golf, depending on the season. She had an affinity for cats and always had at least one in the house. She was an excellent cook and loved trying new recipes. She was a very talented seamstress. She created beautiful cross-stitch designs and made many Halloween costumes for her grandchildren over the years. She also loved taking them on summer trips to Disney World whenever she could and putting up Christmas decorations for them to enjoy. One of her life’s greatest joys and accomplishments was raising Lauren. Both Shirley and Jim adored taking care of her all the way through her childhood and teenage years. When she retired, she took up playing mahjong and made several close friends at the bridge club. Above all else, Shirley cared deeply for others. She gave so much of herself and never asked for anything in return. She will always be remembered for her kind soul, generous spirit, compassion, sensibility, and wit.
Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life on Saturday October 15, 2022 at 11:00 am. The service will be held at the Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home, located at 7950 131 Street North Seminole, Florida 33776. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) by visiting SPCATampaBay.org. Please click on the “Donate Today” tab at the top of the page and leave your condolences, memories, or sentiments in honor of Shirley A. Drof.
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