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Shirley I. Summerfield
1927 - 2025
FUNERAL HOME
Shirley Summerfield Obituary
Shirley is lovingly survived by her daughter Lisa (Barry) Laiderman and son Gordon (Michelle) Summerfield, as well as her sister Jeanne Shanken. She leaves behind cherished grandchildren Stacy (Claude) Bebie, Erica (Craig) Pentak, and Hannah Summerfield, along with her beloved great-grandchildren Evelyn, Norah, and Jack Pentak, and Orion and Hera Bebie.
Special thanks to everyone at Brookdale Dogwood and Baptist Hospice, along with her primary caretakers Betty Franklin and Janice Little-McCay for your great care and love.
Born in Memphis on June 16, 1927, to Edna and Marcus Iskiwitch, Shirley graduated from Central High School in Memphis and went on to attend Sophie Newcomb College at Tulane University, graduating with a degree in Economics. She was blessed to share 67 wonderful years of marriage with her devoted husband, Herman (H.I.) Summerfield.
Throughout her life, Shirley was a tireless volunteer in the Jewish community serving on the boards of Temple Israel and Plough Towers as well as President of the National Council of Jewish Women – Memphis section. She also had a deep appreciation for the arts. As a young woman, she studied ballet and performed in college productions, fostering a lifelong love of artistic expression. Together with H.I., she delighted in attending theater performances, ballet, symphony concerts, jazz shows, and opera, sharing countless memorable evenings celebrating the beauty of live performance.
Graveside funeral services will be held at Temple Israel Cemetery on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 10:00 AM with visitation following 1-4pm at the home of Gordon and Michelle Summerfield.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the charity of your choice in Shirley's memory.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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Funeral services provided by:
Canale Funeral Directors - Memphis2700 Union Avenue Extended, Memphis, TN 38112
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