Shirley Jean Carruthers

On May 11,  2024, Shirley Jean Carruthers passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully, while watching The Golden Girls sitcom on her couch.

On September 11, 1934, she was born to Clifford Monroe Solem and Jean Louise Thompson in Butte, Montana.

She attended 12 schools throughout the state of Montana before entering high school, and graduated from Missoula County High School in 1951 where she was a double baton twirler, cheerleader and a tap dancer.

She married Robert Zander in January 1953 and had one daughter, Ronda. Later, and divorced, she married Robert Carruthers in March 1961. They started out in Missoula,  then moved to Billings, Montana and lived there for seven years before moving to Bountiful, Utah where they resided for the rest of their lives.

In Bountiful, Shirley was actively involved in the International Order of Job's Daughters and served as Bethel #9's Choir Director as well as State Choir Director. As the mother of a Job's Daughter she played a significant role in hosting numerous parties and supporting lots of fund raising events.

Since her move to Bountiful, she has been a parishioner of the United Church of Christ and served on its Alter Guild for several years. From beginning to end, her faith in God never waivered. She loved going to church. Her voice was never stronger or more sincere than when she was singing praise to the Lord.

During the retirement years of her life, she was a member of the Bountiful Art Guild, and a tap dancer with the Maxinettes at Bountiful's Golden Years Senior Center. They entertained throughout the Salt Lake Valley all year long and once in Branson, Missouri. They developed an unbreakable bond of friendship as well as thighs of steel from all their hours of practicing and performing

An excellent knitter, a dedicated employee for Dick's Grocery Store, an adventurous world traveler, an avid reader, a lifelong loyal friend to many, a skier of both water and snow, Shirley had unbounded energy. She was often referred to as the human version of the Energizer Bunny.

She was preceded in death by her son Larry Kirk Zander, her mother and father, her husband Robert Carruthers. And is survived by her daughter Ronda Zander of Elkridge, MD; sister Judith Joy of Sun City, AZ; stepdaughters Cynthia (Robert) Prigge of Billings and Bettina (Rick) Redman of Missoula, and two nephews Mark (Laura) Peres of Greer, SC, and Daron (Kit) Peres of Woodlawn, MD, as well as six grandchildren.

A memorial service for Shirley will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at the Legacy House of Bountiful, Utah from 3-5pm in the activity center. It is located at 79 East Center Street, Bountiful, Utah 84010.