Shirley O'Reilly Obituary

    Shirley (Shirl) joined her husband, Phillip, on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017 after a brief illness.
    She was born in 1924 to Leonard and Alma Rogers in Detroit, Mich., the third of four children.
    Shirl joined the Coast Guard as a Spar in 1943 and was stationed in Florida where she met Phil. They were married in Miami in 1945 and raised four daughters. During their marriage, they lived in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, then returned to their first love, Florida, where she worked as an accessories design consultant. After Phil passed away in 1993, Shirl remained in Florida until 2007 when, at the age of 83, she sold her home and moved to Albuquerque, where she could enjoy the southwestern art and culture she came to love during visits with her oldest daughter. Shirl was a talented artist and craftsperson with a strong sense of style, always busy with a project to enhance her home or creating gifts for friends and family. She also loved to dance, play cards and travel to faraway places. Shirl, with her great sense of humor, compassion and generosity, was dearly loved and will be missed by all whose lives she touched.
    Those that mourn her passing are her daughters, Kathleen Garrett of Albuquerque, Karen Zubert of Phoenix, Kris O’Reilly of Minnetonka, Minn. and Kyle Kehren (Larry) of Lake City; her sister, Beverly Richter of Pennsylvania; four grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
    After a private family memorial service, her ashes will be buried with those of her husband in the courtyard of St. Thomas More Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities or St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Sarasota, Fla. Cremation services are under the care of Neptune Society.