Worthington High School

Worthington-West Franklin
High School

Worthington, PA

1933 - 1984

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 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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