Shirley Lue Wells

Shirley Lue Wells died peacefully on February 16, 2016, in the presence of her daughter Julie Walsh.

Shirley was born to Ruth and Glenn Gillett on July 12, 1935, in Detroit, Michigan. Her family consists of husband Gerald S. Wells (deceased), daughter Julie Walsh, son-in-law Darren Walsh, son Steven D. Wells (deceased), daughter-in-law Robin Vogel-Wells, daughter Joni Wells, and four grandchildren Samantha and Robert Wells, and Elizabeth and Kelly Walsh.

As a teenager she worked as an usherette for the The Riviera Theater where she met the love of her life Gerald S. Wells. They dated for ten days then decided to marry when he came home on leave from the USN. They wed on March 3, 1954, and were married for 56 years. Shirley was a military wife for 20 years, faithfully serving our country by supporting her family’s home life while Gerald served his country. When he received a military transfer to a new location, Shirley would make the necessary preparations to pack up the family and move. After seven states from Florida to California, setting up home in a new place became old hat to her. In 1972 Gerald retired from the Navy in Renton, Washington, where Shirley worked for the Navy Exchange, progressing to nearly a buyer position. They retired to Glendale AZ, also maintaining a summer home in Bremerton, WA to be close to her grandchildren.

Shirley loved sewing, making everything from clothes to drapes to upholstery. She taught herself to redecorate from interior design magazines while adding her own style. She could easily turn the most mundane home into something that could be featured in a home magazine.

Shirley loved spoiling her grandchildren whether it was a birthday, a holiday, or just a week day. She always had treats for them when they visited, and created, furnished, and decorated elaborate cardboard playhouses. She coined the “birthday tree” for her family to gather around for, what her family called, Christmas in July. Everyone got a gift even if was not their birthday, so no one was left out.

Shirley is loved and remembered as kind, caring, positive, and uplifting. She is remembered for her sweet nature, beautiful spirit, life, and love for her family, especially her sisters, and friends. She valiantly fought Parkinson’s Disease never allowing it to defeat her sweet nature. Donations in her honor are welcome to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation at www.pdf.org. Shirley’s life story may be viewed at http://youtu.be/ccGMTwrwPWE.