It is with immense sadness that we announce Shelley's passing after a courageous battle with cancer.
Born to Sheldon and Janet (Duncan) Munro in St. John's, Newfoundland, Shelley lived in many places across Canada due to her father's career in the RCMP. This included Ottawa - where sister Tammy joined the family, Dawson Creek BC, Grand Falls NB, Port Elgin NB, and finally Fredericton NB where she attended junior and senior high school. She worked various part-time jobs while attending school, including Medjuck's Furniture, Rogers Grocery, Maritime Forestry Complex, and O'Leary Pontiac. Shelley graduated from UNB with her Bachelor of Business Administration in 1991, then worked as an accountant for Deloitte & Touche, Formal Systems, and the Chalmers Hospital Foundation.
Eventually Shelley's path brought her to meeting James, and together they moved to Winnipeg and then Thunder Bay, where they married. Thunder Bay is where Shelley's greatest role in life began - she became Mom to daughter Sarah and she embraced that role with all her heart. She was the classic stay-at-home Mom - baking, sewing, volunteering at school, and ensuring Sarah could participate in extracurricular activities. There is no question Shelley was born to be a Mom.
Though they lived in Thunder Bay all of Sarah's childhood years, New Brunswick was still "home" to the Williams family. Shelley and Sarah spent every summer from beginning to end between their family camp - lovingly built by James - at Peltoma Lake, Shelley's parents' home in St. Andrews, and with friends in Tracy and Fredericton, with James joining them during his vacation time. Shelley maintained lifelong friendships because she was so thoughtful - always keeping in touch, remembering birthdays, and gifting beautiful handmade items. Many of these friends visited and enjoyed great times at their Peltoma Lake camp, where family and friends were always welcome.
Shelley was extremely talented with just about every craft - sewing, felting, stamping, card-making; but perhaps her favorite was pottery. Shelley and James moved back to New Brunswick in 2018 and it was Shelley's plan to have her own pottery studio at their home in Charters Settlement. Unfortunately her health issues prevented this from coming to fruition.
Shelley leaves to mourn her loving and dedicated husband James, who was by her side daily in her final months, cherished daughter Sarah (Nathan Gorey), loving mother Janet, and sister Tammy (Matthew Ward). Survived by sisters-in-law Donna (Lewis Golden), Gale (Steven Golding), Vicky (Raymond Mott), Kathy (Bob McLaughlin), and Janie (Galen Golden); brother-in-law Tom Williams, Aunt Athalia (Teddy) Cruikshank, as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews. She will be missed by her beloved feline companion Dolly. She was predeceased by her father Sheldon, paternal grandparents Margaret (Helen) and Donald Munro, maternal grandparents Laura and Freeland Duncan, parents-in-law Dorothy (Dodie) and Arthur (Art) Williams, Uncles Carl Cruikshank, Lewis Dillman, Charles (Teddy) Munro, and Lloyd Munro, brother-in-law Dale Durling.
Shelley and the Williams Family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff of the Saint John Regional Hospital, Stan Cassidy Center for Rehabilitation as well as the medical unit of the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, for their outstanding care. Special gratitude to Dr. Gordon McDonald who co-ordinated Shelley's care with knowledge and compassion.
Visitation will be at 6PM – 8PM at Bishop's Funeral on Tuesday February 18. The funeral service will at 1PM Wednesday February 19 at Brunswick Street Baptist Church with Pastor Ross Watters officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Stan Cassidy Center for Rehabilitation, the Chalmers Foundation Cancer Support Program, or other charity of choice.
How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
A.A. Milne