Shirley Lucile Thomas

Shirley Lucile Thomas, age 91 of Sterling Heights, died Thursday, November 2, 2017 at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township. She was born December 25, 1925 in Detroit, daughter of the late Virgil and the late Amy (nee: Jasman) McClary.In the fifties, Shirley worked as a Keypunch Operator which ultimately led to the more comprehensive field of Computer Programming. She was a very intelligent person and taught herself many of the necessary skills that would usher her towards the success she experienced over the years. The greatest portion of her programming efforts and years were spent at Wayne State University in Detroit. It was there that she honed her skills and proved her worth which culminated in a promotion to Systems Analyst, a position in which she wrote programs for accounting, payroll and course scheduling. It was during the 1970's that Shirley chose to changes things up a bit, a decision that found her relocating her career from Detroit to Oakland University in Rochester Hills.When the job responsibilities were behind her and the family was content, Shirley enjoyed a number of hobbies and pastimes. She was known for her love of crafting, as well as for being quite the collector. Crafting came easy for Shirley as evidenced by the beautiful Christmas ornaments and macrame chairs she fashioned with her skillful hands and artistic flair. As for the latter, one of Shirley's cherished collections, her Lenox birds, were proudly displayed throughout the house in the many cases that filled the walls. Though she owned many of the delicate pieces, each one was special and had a story all its own. Yet of all that she collected, there was none more profound than the expansive collection of books that filled her home. From stem to stern, top to bottom, and many places in between, her house was an immense testimony to her love for reading,...all of which she read herself. An avid reader, to be sure, Shirley's greatest reading pleasures were found in the genres of Mystery and Romance. Her love of reading was so profound that it wasn't rare for her to chew through a novel in one evening. Not only did she find sweet release in paging through her books, but she found sweet reward in donating many of them to needy organizations afterwards. She truly had a good & noble heart. Shirley was also known for being a great cook in her day. Though there were many tasty morsels that came from her kitchen over the years, her family's Christmas memories will forever leave their mouths watering with each recollection of Shirley's infamous "Christmas Prime Rib Dinner." It was so tender and moist, your teeth went through that beef like a hot knife through butter,...and" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">...and the rest of the fixin's 'round the table simply put the cherry on the proverbial sundae. It always made for some great memories,...nothing any steak house could ever have a prayer of duplicating. Christmas is coming, Shirley ~ hope you enjoy a great Prime Rib meal up there this year.Then there was her shopping delights with daughter, Pat. Known to be a trait that many mother/daughter combos enjoy all over the world, there was one time of year that made it extra special for this store-hoppin' duo,...and that was "Black Friday." Each year on this notorious day, these two "Sales DIva's" awoke at 4:00 am to begin, what was planned to be, the arduous process of beating all the others to the best deals of the day. It was a process that found them immersed in that infamous "shop till you drop" scenario, dragging themselves home long after dark. Lastly, Shirley and her husband loved to travel and were avid road-runners in their affectionately named "Holiday Rambler Motorhome" which traversed across the U.S. as they added many beautiful and breathtaking sights to their travel portfolio of places and destinations enjoyed. Throughout their many travels they made some great friends from all walks of life, and especially enjoyed their fellow road warriors in the RV Club membership they shared together.Shirley was the beloved wife of the late William. Dear mother of Patricia (David) Myers and James Thomas. Loving grandmother of Steven (Kristen) Myers, Amanda (Brandon) O'Shell, Jody (Thomas) O'Rourke, and great-grandmother of Brendan Myers, Morgan Myers, Reagan Myers, Collins O'Shell, Colston O'Shell, and Caroline O'Rourke. Sister of Mona Mann, Jean Cole, the late Genevieve Vartanian, the late Clayton McClary, and the late Oren McClary. Visitation for Shirley will be held Friday, November 3rd from 6-9 pm at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 ½ Mile Road) in Warren. Her Committal Services will take place at 2:00 pm on Saturday at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Michigan.Memorial donations are welcomed to Henry Ford Hospice – Macomb, 16931 Nineteen Mile Road, Clinton Township, Michigan 48038. Please share memories of Shirley at her memory book above.