Shirley Peterson

Shirley S. Peterson, born September 20, 1933, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2022 after a brief illness. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert B. Peterson, and her parents, Ivan and Marjorie. Shirley loved the Lord, her faith was strong, and our spirits are buoyed by her heavenly reunion with Bob. She was an active member of Nativity Episcopal Church in Birmingham, MI and served in many roles there over the years. When living in Leland Shirley worshipped at St Peter Episcopal, and also participated in a Women’s Bible Study through the Leland United Methodist Church. She is survived by her daughter, Lindsey (David), sons Ward (Krista), and Bradley (Amy), grandsons Dylan, Cooper, Casey, Trevor, and Charlie. Shirley graduated from Pontiac High School in 1950 and went on to Michigan State College where she joined Alpha Phi sorority and studied English and Education. After graduating in 1954 she taught until she married Bob in 1960 and moved to New Jersey shortly thereafter. They returned to their native Michigan in 1963 where they lived out their lives. Later in life, Shirley returned to school attending Oakland University where she earned a Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1982. She went on to work at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, retiring in 1995 having attained the level of Director of Non-Medical Education. She then opened her own company, Consulting Works, and continued to work with companies and nonprofit organizations for several more years. Bob and Shirley’s life and ours changed forever in early 1970 when they responded to an ad in the Detroit Free Press for a summerlong rental house on North Lake Leelanau called Birchcroft. For nine glorious years when school got out, our family trekked north for the season to Birchcroft, returning home after Labor Day to begin the new school year. Throughout those years on the lake, Shirley and Bob graciously opened their door to this wonderful house to family and friends from Detroit, their MSU clan, new local acquaintances, and the friends from their time on the East Coast and across the USA. The old house was filled with laughter and love and always seemed full…which was saying something as there were 10 bedrooms. A close friend shared their story with a writer at the Freep, and they did a feature story of her on the cover of their Living section about how she feeds as many as two dozen folk for a weekend! It was a wonderous time of long summer days and magical summer nights. In 1979, Bob and Shirley would purchase their own lake house on the north end of Lake Leelanau, which became a new special place in our hearts where family and friends gathered and were always welcomed. After Bob’s death in 2012, Shirley relocated from Bloomfield Hills to life on the lake where she happily lived, immersing herself in the Leland community. In September 2018 she relocated to The Pavilions Hawthorne Cottage for assisted living in Traverse City. Requiring additional care, she spent her final months at Willow Cottage in their memory care unit. We would like to thank the staff at Munson Medical Center and The Pavilions…especially the cottages…for all their support and the wonderful care they provided Shirley. The Peterson family will remain forever grateful to all of you for taking such incredible care of our mother. You are the best of all of us…thank you. Sadly, the steady ongoing progression of dementia robbed Shirley of her memories. To learn more and make a donation in her name, please contact The Alzheimer’s Foundation www.alzfdn.org But if we all agree that making memories for your children, grandchildren family and friends in your lives is among our most important responsibilities, Shirley exceeded at this beyond our wildest expectations. The many ways she demonstrated her love would take too long to share. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who lived her life with kindness, dignity, elegance and aplomb. She loved us well and will be missed but never forgotten, her unique spirit forever present. We love you, Shirley, Mom, Nana! *There will be a memorial service to honor Shirley this summer TBD

Shirley Peterson

September 20, 1933 - March 28, 2022