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Tributes
A Tribute to
Shirley
Mae Claypoole Solada
June 25,
1946 - April 5, 2009
Shirley lived in the heart of life every day with
intensity, in everything she did, everywhere she went, with everyone
lucky enough to know her leading some to call her a force of humanity.
Perhaps that’s why she loved life so much.
It expressed her own sense of oneness with the world, her zest
for and curiosity about life, her belief in the constant need for
compassion and enlightenment in our dealings with each other.
It was that zest that made all of us leave our encounters with
Shirley with more energy than we brought.
And so, Shirley would understand that our hearts are breaking, even as
we celebrate the wondrous, rich life she lived to its fullest, staying
with us as long as she could.
Being at work everyday, making Christmas presents every year, enjoying
life with her husband Dan, raising her children, loving her
grandchildren and great grandchildren, going to King’s with her
friends, growing up on the farm, crocheting and making things to give
away she was our Shirley a passionate, brave and joyous spirit with
laser-like intelligence and a thousand-watt smile and laugh.
Oh, that smile and the infectious laugh that acted like a GPS.
Where ever you were, if you heard that laugh you knew who it
was.
Ever democratic, endlessly curious and caring about the people in this
world if you were ever out and about with Shirley there was always
someone coming up to talk to her or you would hear someone yelling
from afar “Hey
Shirley” and that thousand-watt smile would appear.
She always had the time to share with you.
Everyone who knew Shirley soon discovered that she redefined the word
amazing. Most everyone
who crossed her path utter the words, the most inspirational and
remarkable person I’ve ever met in my life.
All of us that knew Shirley are members of the wonderful Community of
Shirley Solada.
It’s an elite membership we cherish, whether we first knew her in
elementary school or later in life, some have known her for 62 years
and some for only her last days.
Shirley’s wish was to pass the torch of her full-color life to all
of us and to encourage us to seek balance in our lives and to be
touchstones for each other and for humanity.
As we continue to share joyful, inspiring and funny moments from
Shirley’s life, we will be reminded to live our days as she did,
creatively, enthusiastically, spontaneously, passionately and never
selfish, always caring about and for each other and looking at
ourselves and making our lives right.
Going about our daily lives, may we find opportunities, large and
small, to carry out her wish. In
this way, we can honor her life, as she honored ours by being with us,
by teaching us to know the heart of life.
Shirley would not want us to be devastated with her passing.
She requested that we live life to the fullest and always
remember, as she was while she was on this earth, she will continue to
be everyone’s angel no matter who you are.
Nancy Claypoole Prewitt
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