Shirley J Wilson

Shirley Jeanne (nee Thompson), (Smith) Wilson, age 94, of Gresham, Oregon, peacefully passed away on September 15, 2024. She was lovingly cared for in her last days by extremely devoted family members and an amazing hospice team, along with the very caring staff at Kelly Gardens in Gresham, Oregon.
Shirley was born on November 17, 1929, in Quincy, Illinois, as the eldest child of parents, Wallace and Nella Lee (nee Sievers) Thompson. Her birth was just a couple of weeks after the Great Crash of 1929. Over the next four years, she was joined by her brother, Larry, and baby sister, June. The difficulties of the Depression led her mother to eventually relocate with the children to the West Coast, following other family members who had also fled the Midwest. As a teen, Shirley attended high school in both California and Oregon. As an adult, she had periods of time where she lived with her children in both California and Nevada. But Oregon was always home for her. And this is where she lived for the last fifty years of her life.
She was married to Donald Ray Smith for ten years and Sydney Lionel Wilson for four years. She may have been unlucky in love. But all of her children are her true legacy. Their successful lives are rooted in her lifelong desire for them to do well, even during the tough times and hard decisions that can face a single mother.
She loved gardening, soap operas, playing card & board games and reading romantic novels. Several of her children can trace their love of reading to seeing their dear mother absorbed in a book. She had a lovely singing voice, but it was a gift that life rarely allowed her to share. But her feisty personality and love of people was always evident. "Coming over for coffee" was a social tradition that frequently linked her with many dear friends and family over the years.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, her brother and sister, her oldest son, Kenneth Roger Smith and one of her twin daughters, Marcella Ruth (nee Smith) Laatz.
She is survived by her other twin daughter, Marcia (Dave) Sawatzky and their adult children, Emily (Christian) Krugler, John Sawatzky and Stephen Sawatzky, along with her youngest daughter, Angela (Tom) Hansen and their adult daughters, Robin Hansen and Theresa (Will) Hougen, and also her youngest son, Brian (Michelle) Wilson and their adult children, Aaron, Axel and Eli. Others survivors include the children and grandchildren of her eldest son Ken (Josie (Glover) Weiss and Stephanie (Nelson) Collazo and their sons, Jacob and Caleb; and those of her daughter, Marcella her son, Quinton (Alaina) Laatz, and her daughter, Caitlin Laatz and her little daughter, Ruth. Making his appearance in March of 2025, will be the newest great-grandchild, compliments of Will and Theresa Hougen. Shirley is also survived by six nieces, with whom the youngest, Tamara (Brad) Price, there was a special, lifelong friendship.
There will be a Celebration of Life held to honor the life and legacy of Shirley on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at Gresham Memorial Chapel in Gresham Oregon, at 12:00 pm. Following the service, there will be a luncheon, featuring three of Shirley's favorite foods. salad, various soups and fresh breadsticks.