Shirley LaVerne Wolff
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Shirley Laverne (Nelson) Wolff was born on August 6, 1923 in Chicago Illinois. She passed away peacefully on April 20, 2022 at the age of 98.
She grew up living on Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove just north of 39th Street. Shirley was always very well liked in High School and was voted Miss One in A Million in a contest created by Cock Robin Ice Cream shops (creators of One in a Million milkshakes) Shirley graduated from Downers Grove High School in 1941 but not before she met the love of her life Robert (Bud) Wolff also a DGHS 1941 graduate.
After graduation Shirley went to work at Rite Rite Manufacturing in Downers Grove IL (makers of mechanical pencils) while her future husband Bud was sent to England to serve in the Army Air Corp during WWII. When the war was over, Bud called and told Shirley to, "Get a wedding ready! I'll be home in 14 days!" Truly a war time love story. They were married 76 years.
While living in their home on 39th St in Downers Grove, Shirley worked at Corroon and Black and had many neighborhood friends, ladies club friends, and Church friends at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Downers Grove IL.
Bud and Shirley lived in Downers Grove on 39th Street until 1980 when they moved to Port Charlotte Florida, where she enjoyed being the Port Charlotte Village Welcome Lady, learning about the new residents' lives and interests. She enjoyed participating in talent night, kazoo band, skits and other activities with all of her wonderful PCV friends.
All through her life people loved being with Shirley. Her smile made everyone around her smile back. She always had clever, funny comments to make and never met anyone that she didn't like. She became best friends with everyone, even in a grocery store line. Sweet, beautiful, never judgmental. Everybody loved Shirley - she always said "I have no regrets."
She is survived by family members including her daughter Sandy (Wolff) Bothmer, her husband Richard, and her son Roger Wolff and his wife Nancy. Other family members include Grandchildren Michael Winchell and his wife Angie, Michelle Winchell Struckholz and her husband Fred, Ryan Wolff and his wife Kathryn, David Wolff, Lisa Martz and her partner Brian Locktan, and Christine Bothmer-Stinson and her husband Alan. She is also survived by her great grandchildren Ellisa and Christina Winchell, Elliot Struckholz, Eli Grover Wolff, Tyler Martz, Julie Bothmer-Yost, and her nieces and nephews from the Nelson family Rickie Hexom, Lief, Chris, Marvin, David and Sarah Kenny, plus her niece and nephew Oma Jean (Cornils) Amundson and Jay Cornils. Her survivors also include her sister-in-law, Agnes Kubicz. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert (Bud) Wolff, her brother Marvin Nelson, his wife Nancy, and her sister-in-law Katherine Cornils and her husband Al. We love you to pieces Mom!
A memorial service for both Shirley and Bud will be held sometime in the summer of 2022 in Illinois. Donations in Shirley's memory may be made to the Skin Cancer Foundation at Skincancer.org.