Loretta (Wendy) Jean Shurr (Slavens) passed away on November 14, 2020 in Mesa, AZ. after a long battle with Lewy Body dementia at the age of 81. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, David H. Shurr, in 2018. Wendy is survived by sons David A. Shurr and John (Kathy) Shurr, six grandchildren (Karissa, Alisha, Derick, Nathan, Nicholas and Kaitlyn) and great-grandchildren Maelyn and Paxton. Wendy was born on June 17, 1939 in Otterbein, IN the first of six children to John and Vernice (Robbins) Slavens. Wendy leaves behind her close siblings Allen, Harold, Helen, Wanda and Marietta. Her family worked and lived on a farm in and around Fowler, IN until they moved to Tucson, AZ in January of 1952. Wendy was married to David on April 7, 1956 in Tucson and soon thereafter moved to Pittsburgh, PA and Greenbelt, MD before finally settling in the San Francisco Bay Area following David’s transfer with United Air Lines. Mom (this sounds more natural to the writer) worked in credit unions starting with Ampex and Western Airlines before moving to a little up-and-comer in Palo Alto called Hewlett-Packard. She was the second employee of the newly formed HP Employee’s Federal Credit Union and over the years undertook the role of opening and maintaining branches in Santa Rosa, San Diego, Roseville, Corvallis, OR and Boise, ID. Mom was under-educated, in a classical sense, but made up for it with a natural intelligence, clear vision and a bulldog-like approach to learning. (After retirement she returned to school at Indiana Wesleyan and obtained her AA in Business Administration while graduating with Honors). After retirement, Mom and Dad moved back to Fowler, IN where they purchased and remodeled a home that had been in her family for 60+ years. They also held a home in AZ that they visited from Nov – March each year as they made the western swing to visit grandkids, friends, and family. No brief summation of her life would be complete without speaking to her love of God and devotion to attending and serving the communities at the Palo Alto Church of the Nazarene and Fowler’s Hope Wesleyan. She lived a Christ-centered life in a day-to-day practical sense: regularly opening her home and table to those from out-of-town waiting for treatment at Stanford Medical Center; serving on boards at numerous local and regional levels; regular tithing. They moved to Mesa in 2016 to be nearer family as her health deteriorated. Services are to be conducted on Saturday, December 5 at Lakeshore Mortuary in Mesa, AZ. The family is preparing a service for Fowler, IN later in the spring 2021. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to East Valley Hospice at EVHospice.com/donate.
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