Shirley Jean Samels Church's Obituary
Shirley J. Samels Church (nee Collins), 81, of The Villages, FL passed away Tuesday, October 3, 2017. She was born May 22, 1936 in Jackson, MI. Through her memoir, poems, and her monthly "Samels Scoop" family newsletter, not to mention the monumental achievement of creating a family tree book, left quite a legacy. Greater even than these works, however, is the closeness and sense of humor and fun she passed down to her children and grandchildren. Shirley's love extended outward, as evidenced by the constant stream of relatives and friends at the Samels family home in Munster, Indiana, and then in The Villages, Florida.
Her effervescence and energy spread also to her work--in her younger years, at IBM and later at Inland Steel Company, from which she retired in 1991. She was preceded in death by her beloved spouse, Lawrence Samels, her parents Mary and Allyn Collins, and her brothers Robert Collins and Richard Collins, Shirley is survived by her sister, Janet Dickerson; children and their families: Kay Bencen and her sons Allyn and Adam; Kelly and Bill Christy and their children James and Courtney; Tim and Renee Samels and their daughter Julia; Jill and John Hales and their children Emily, Elizabeth, and Jack; Jeff and Jeanine Samels and their children Margaret, Mary Ellyn, and John; and Greg and Angela Samels and their children Anna, Grace, and Matthew. She is also survived by her current husband, M. Gordon Church, along with many cherished nieces and nephews. Family and friends will gather 4:00 - 6:00pm, Thursday, October 12, 2017, at Banks/Page-Theus Chapel, Wildwood. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 8:30am, Friday, October 13, 2017 in St. Timothy Catholic Church, The Villages. The inurnment will be private in Florida National Cemetery.
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