Shirley C Benjamin

Shirley Benjamin, 74, passed away peacefully at home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee on August 31, 2019. Shirley, who adored her family, is survived by her loving husband of 42 years, Howard Benjamin; daughters Alexis Mason (Scott) of Portland, Oregon and Lindsey Barnes (Matthew) of Nashville; and step-daughters Jennifer Lankes and Barbara Tadokoro. She was a loving grandmother to Brooke and Conor Mason and Owen Barnes.

Shirley is survived also by her sister Judith Wolf Mandell (Allan); and by her niece, Abbie Wolf (Ari Dubin) and nephew, Seth Wolf (Adina). She was a great aunt to Emmie and Davi Wolf-Dubin and Anna and Orly Wolf.

Shirley grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey. After receiving her BA degree from American University in Washington, DC, she taught elementary school in the Boston area. When she moved to the Los Angeles area, she worked in department store retail and in Human Resources at Litton Industries. Later on, Shirley worked as a substitute teacher in the LAUSD, then relocated to Mt. Juliet with Howard for retirement. Despite ongoing health obstacles, Shirley persisted courageously. She savored being present for four major milestones in her family’s life: Lindsey’s wedding; Howard’s 90th birthday; the birth of Owen, her third grandchild; and Alexis’ graduation from graduate school.

Shirley was an incredibly special person. Kindness and thoughtfulness were traits that were inherent for her. She will be missed deeply.

A funeral service will be held on September 6, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at Congregation Micah in Nashville. Burial will take place in Portland, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donation to Metavivor, an organization dedicated to metastatic breast cancer research, support, and awareness. https://www.metavivor.org/