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OBITUARY
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OBITUARY |
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Shirley NielsenDecember 19, 1934 - May 27, 2007
Friday Harbor resident Shirley Bonita Nielsen, 72, died May 27, 2007, after a long-battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A service is planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Roche Harbor Resort. Shirley was born December 19, 1934, in Victoria, British Columbia, and adopted by Elsie and George McDonald. She graduated from St Anne's Academy in 1952. Though her father wished her to go into the family business, Shirley was determined to go to college and convinced her parents to allow her to attend Gonzaga University along with her lifelong friend, Margaret Levis. She received a bachelor's degree in business from Gonzaga in 1956. She married Charles Cannon Schmidt on December 31, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. Charles obtained a position as the prosecutor for San Juan County, and the young couple moved to the then small town of Friday Harbor. Shirley placed her family at the center of her life. She had seven children with Charles Schmidt. In 1980, Shirley married island resident Einar Nielsen and combined her family of seven with his three children, with whom she developed close and loving relationships. Shirley found her greatest joy in her family and hosted many frequent (sprawling) family reunions. In addition to raising her family, Shirley became a leader in the community. She played a leading role in the capital campaigns for the island's new medical center as well as the community theatre. Somehow Shirley also found the time and energy to become one of the island's leading real-estate agents, and she had a long and successful career with Dockside Property. Shirley was not one to be daunted by a challenge. On one notable occasion, she packed seven children into a station wagon and, with a brave friend riding shotgun, road-tripped all the way to San Diego, California, and back. On another occasion she organized a family trip to Hawaii. Ever resourceful, she froze steaks in advance, wrapped them in paper, and packed them in the luggage to save on her food budget. Shirley loved adventurous travel, and even while battling cancer, she frequently jaunted off to exotic destinations throughout Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Some of her favorite trips included visits to Turkey and China; as well as Peru, where she hiked to the top of Machu Picchu with one of her grandsons, and snorkeled in the Galapagos Islands with a granddaughter. Shirley fought her long illness with unflinching resolve and abiding faith. Her children and stepchildren had the privilege of attending to Shirley's needs in her final weeks, staying with her round-the-clock, and her hospital room was full of the photographs and artwork of the grandchildren she had doted upon. Her family gives their sincere gratitude to all of the friends who helped Shirley along this difficult path and would like to extend a special thank you to Fr. Anthony Harris and the wonderful staff at Virginia Mason Hospital. Shirley is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Gretchen and Jeffrey Cox; daughters Kirsten and Jennifer Schmidt; son and daughter-in-law Peter and Brenda Schmidt; son and daughter-in-law Joe Schmidt and Jackie Cohen; son and daughter-in-law James and Nicole Schmidt; and son and daughter-in-law John and Amanda Schmidt; step children Sue Nielsen, Cass Salzwedel and husband Kim, and Niel Nielsen; grandchildren, Jayson, Charli, Elizabeth, Zachary, Porter, Francesca, Harper, and step-grandchildren Jupiter, Anna, Jai, Rosemary, Jamie, and Kelsey. Shirley was preceded in death by her husbands Charles Schmidt and Einar Nielsen and step son-in-law Chris Thornton. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Shirley B. Nielsen to your local chapter of the American Cancer Society or the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. |
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