THOMAS, Shirley Alice

 

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our Wife, Mother and Grandmother in the presence of her loved ones on May 9, 2012.  Shirley passed away peacefully at the age of 82 years after some time of ill health.  Shirley was born in Calgary, Alberta, the first child of Alex and Alice Warrack on August 14, 1929.  After growing up in the Strathmore area she moved to Langdon and finished school.  With her interest in the clothing business, Shirley attended SAIT.  On December 1, 1951 Shirley married the love of her life, David Thomas, and they began to raise their family in the Langdon area where they were busy farming and in the real estate business for years before retiring.  Shirley was a member of the Langdon Rebekahs for 62 years volunteering a lot of her time to the community through fundraisers, teas and the famous turkey dinners.  She loved the opportunity the Rebekahs gave her to travel around the province meeting new people and visiting with established friends.  Shirley never met anyone she did not like or that did not like her.  Shirley was also very involved with the Women’s Institute, being a long time member.  She would travel with the WI for conferences going to places like Nova Scotia and Ireland.  Shirley enjoyed traveling as she took a cruise to Puerto Rico and Barbados and flew to Scottsdale to visit her daughter.  Shirley’s love of singing kept her busy entertaining at various functions like weddings, anniversaries and Christmas parties.  Her great passion was singing and playing with the little children.  She carried this passion onto her three grandsons, always ready to run after a bike, build lego giants and cheer on the boys at a hockey game. Shirley was predeceased by her infant daughter Lynn Shirley Thomas and her daughter Katherine Alice Hochhaus.  She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, David Thomas, her daughter Susan and husband Lance Collins and their three boys Kory, Travis and Kyle and her son-in-law Steve Hochhaus.  Shirley also leaves behind her two sisters Norma and Doug Hilton and family, Margaret and Cecil Graham and family, and her brother Allan and Jean Warrack and family.  Many thanks go to Dr. Ben Sader and staff for their care and help over the years and also to the staff at the Strathmore Hospital for all their help at a difficult time.  Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 14, 2012 at Wheatland Funeral Chapel, Strathmore at 2:00 p.m.  To send condolences please visit www.wheatlandfuneralhome.ca.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made directly to the Canadian Cancer Society (200, 325 Manning Rd. NE, Calgary, AB  T2E 2P5).