- Date Of Birth: March 22, 1937
- Date Of Death: September 12, 2015
- State: Arizona
The most loving and generous woman I have ever known left this world unexpectedly on September 12th, 2015. My mother was a unique lady who was smart and caring and she made me laugh like nobody else ever will. She was also my best friend. This loss is immeasurable. I want to share a little about her life. Shirley was born on March 22, 1937 in Liberty, WV. She was predeceased by her parents Violet (Miller) and Herbert Smith. She was one of six children. She is survived by her sisters Sharon (Larry) French of Liberty, WV and Wanda Jones of Colonial Heights, VA. She was predeceased by her brother William Jones, and sisters Drema Ferguson, and Patricia Miller. Shirley graduated from Poca High School class of 1955. She lived and worked in WV where she met my father, Robert Lewis Rucker. Robert started working for the government and our family relocated to Illinois. Shirley also went to work for the government in both Illinois and on Ft. Huachuca, after moving to Sierra Vista in 1979. She retired from the government in 1995. Shirley was predeceased by Robert in 2000. We had many big adventures in Las Vegas and Laughlin and going back to WV for a family reunion. These memories with her will stay with me a lifetime. Shirley was a true free range chicken who hated doing things at any set time. Shirley was predeceased by her son, Robert Stephen Rucker, in 1968. Shirley is survived by her daughter Stephanie Fenn (Thomas), her granddaughter Leslie Shohet and her grandson Robert (Kathlyn) Shohet. Her great grandson, Dimitri Shohet, was the light of her life. We are fortunate to live in Sierra Vista and enjoyed making memories. Shirley was interested in genealogy. She traced our family tree practically back to Moses’ time. This brought her so much happiness. Shirley also enjoyed gardening, baking, current events and chatting with friends and family across the country. I want to thank the staff of Canyon Vista Medical Center for the exceptional care she received in both the emergency and intensive care departments. A special thank you goes to Dr. Fadda for ensuring her comfort. Thanks to the friends who came to her room to reminisce about the funny things she had said over the years. Even people who never met her felt as though they had from my endless stories about Mom. The support I have received is a blessing. Thank you, all.
