Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Shirley Pavlock was born in 1935, to her parents, Onia and John, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was raised early on, through about the fourth grade, in Duquesne. Then she moved to Port Vue, McKeesport, Pa. She has two siblings: Jerry and Joan. Early on, Shirley was nicknamed "Ish" by her family. Her mother worked as a nurse, while her father was a steelworker. As she grew up during the time of the Great Depression, there was not a lot of money. Shirley helped to care for her sister, Joanie, because her mom was working to help support the family. Shirley was also very close with her brother, who said Shirley beat up all of the bullies for him, and cared for him when he was sick. The family was religious and committed Catholics who attended church every Sunday. Shirley graduated from St. Peters Catholic School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

In 1956, when Shirley spotted a handsome young man in the choir, it changed her life forever. She asked her friend, Patsy, "Who is that guy over there?" His name was Daniel Pavlock. Shirley and Dan discovered they had a lot in common and started dating. They loved to go dancing together and do the Jitterbug and Polka. They both enjoyed listening to Big Band music. When Dan was on Christmas break from attending classes at Penn State College, the couple married in a lovely church wedding ceremony in 1956.

The couple planned to pursue new job opportunities on the West Coast and they moved to Southern California in 1958. Dan worked as an engineer, while Shirley worked as a secretary at McDonnell Douglas. Their first apartment was in West Los Angeles on Sepulveda Boulevard and later they moved to Culver City. Expanding their family, they welcomed two daughters 14 months apart: Dana and Desirée. Moving into a larger home, the family settled into their home in Cypress in 1963 and it has been home ever since. Shirley loved being a mother to her daughters. She was devoted to her children, working at the Catholic School and was also a Girl Scout Leader. On cold winter days she even warmed their school uniforms by the oven in the morning so they'd be warm for the girls to wear. She went to all of Dana's track and field and both girls softball games and enrolled Desirée in art classes.

Shirley was very big on holidays. Thanksgiving was celebrated at their second home in the mountains, " The DanIsh", while Christmas was enjoyed at home in Cypress. She was a wonderful cook who loved the kitchen. Making perogies for Christmas dinner was a huge annual event. She also made homemade apricot and nut rolls each year. She made very special meals for every gathering and everything was homemade, including pies, noodles and spaghetti sauce, just to name a few. In fact, she made three delicious home cooked meals a day for her family. She also enjoyed baking treats for friends. She was very loving, giving and had a big heart for other people.

Over the years, there were many family camping trips to the beach at Leo Carrillo in Malibu. She encouraged the kids to search for the most beautiful treasure of seashells. She loved to hear the waves and the smell of the ocean air. She said if she could put that smell in a jar, she would. Her favorite color was blue like the sea and her beautiful blue eyes. Shirley home cooked everything, even birthday cakes, when they went camping. She was an amazing planner for their trips in their little camper. When the family went to the mountains for weekends or holidays, she was very organized as well.

She encouraged her kids to play games to help their reading and math skills, including Yahtzee, Scrabble and card games. As she was a voracious reader, who loved going to the library to check out Agatha Christie mysteries, she could read a book in a night. Her favorite television show was Jeopardy, as she enjoyed answering the questions. Shirley absolutely loved the Angels of Anaheim and regularly watched their baseball games on TV.

In 1980, her father passed away, but she believed in angels as she saw her father come to the bottom of her bed one night. Only a few months after her father's passing, she endured 16 ½ hours of surgery for a brain tumor. Despite all of her health challenges, she never complained. One of her favorite sayings was, "Someone out there has it worse than you." She never wasted time and made the most of every moment by doing projects and giving to others.

Beyond crocheting blankets and afghans for family members, one of her greatest hobbies was hand-making thousands of crocheted small blankets for babies in hospital oncology wards, unwed mothers and for those families who were grieving a loss. She donated an enormous amount of blankets to Long Beach Memorial Hospital and the chaplain thanked her for her kindness. As both of her daughters became nurses, she also made donations to their hospitals. With talents for crocheting, she hand-made many pairs of slippers for family, friends and strangers. She found her gift was in the process of giving to someone else, never asking for anything in return. Dan's second job became buying yarn for her to make more blankets, slippers and afghans. So kind in her thoughtfulness, she even made an afghan for her doctor.

With a sweet tooth for chocolate, Shirley had a wonderful habit of giving away many gift certificates to See's Candies over the years. For her grandchildren, she created Savings Bonds for college, which was an amazing gift. She sent cards to her children and grandchildren for birthdays, anniversaries, and even St. Patrick's Day. She liked making her own cards and decorating the envelopes. Shirley's grandchildren absolutely loved and appreciated her devotion. She was known as Grammie to her grandchildren and her great-grandson called her Gaummie G. Having children and a family was her purpose in life. Family was always her priority.

As she believed in God and heaven, she prayed to the Virgin Mary every day. Dana even took Shirley communion every Sunday, when she was unable to attend church services.

In the days before, Shirley talked to her daughters and family, Desirée told her "I love you," and Shirley said, "Forever." The moment she left, a mourning dove looked in the window. Shirley loved watching the birds at the bird feeders and the dove has been visiting ever since. Shirley passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family.

While the family has sorrow in their hearts, they have peace that Shirley is not in pain. From morning to night, there are so many memories now. Every morning Shirley had a cup of tea with lemon from her lemon tree and she'd read a book in the evening. She gave of her heart throughout her life and made a difference. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The family misses everything about her now, especially her presence. Dan misses his wife and best friend in life. Dana misses being with her mom and holding her little soft face against her own, while Desirée misses the way she smells. The family has been finding pennies from heaven, as though an angel watches over them. Shirley will be laid to rest with Rosary beads that matched her beautiful blue eyes. She also will have a See's Candies gift certificate in her pocket, which she's probably sharing in heaven.

Shirley Pavlock is loved and remembered by her husband, Dan; daughter Dana Jean and her husband Michael; daughter Desirée and her husband Michael; grandsons Matthew, Erik and Daniel; grand-daughter, Jennifer; great-grandson Joey; brother Jerry; sister Joan; cousins, nieces, nephews; extended relatives and friends.

In Shirley's honor, the family will plant a living memorial tree at their home in the mountains, so she'll be remembered for generations to come. Shirley always gave from the heart.

My Epitaph by Shirley Pavlock

Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. Everything remains the same. You are you and the old life we have lived together so fondly is untouched. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Think of me in the old familiar ways. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Let my name be spoken as it always was among all of you. Just because I am out of sight, I will not be out of mind.

I am waiting for you. Somewhere very near. Just around the corner. Think of me. Pray for me!

Ish, Mom & Gramie

My Mom

As Time passes so quickly, the days to months and the months to so many years, almost 49, since you brought me safely into this mighty world…I had a few thoughts I needed to say to you, from the bottom of my heart and from my deepest inner self.

For me, my life has been a great one. I feel so very blessed and extremely lucky to say, I don't remember one bad day being your daughter. You have always told me that I was your joy, your life . . . that your children meant the entire world to you. I felt it, always. . . I want you to know that it is with the same great and wonderful LOVE I feel back for you.

You have been the perfect mother!

The memories I have of the endless love you have given from childhood until now have made me the person I am. If time were to stop for the world right now, I want you to know and believe how very special you are to me. . . how very much you live within my heart daily, now and for all time and beyond.

I Remember:

A mother so kind and gentle . . . so loving, one with very special hands.

Hands that hugged healed, cooked, cleaned and cared for me. Hands that warmed my uniforms in the oven on cold, winter school mornings. Hands that baked warm cookies, pies and bread that I enjoyed after school . . . holiday goodies and delicious dinners. Hands that taught the "feel" of the dough or cabbage rolls, or the most special perogie station, station one, with flour covered hands. . . hands that helped me set up camp sites, did girl scout activities, worked in my school office, tied my bows, curled my hair, sewed my buttons, made art for my walls and blankets that kept me warm, ironed my clothes while I played below. . . hands that sometimes trembled in sickness as years passed on. . . those oh so very special hands . . . yours!

I Remember:

White cake, fireflies in jars, humidity in Pennsylvania, chipped ham, rootie, lemon blend and Klondike's . . . and all the things you taught me; like hatred is a wasted emotion; and things like true love take work and are harder than walking away; that I am a special person with inner joy; that children are more precious than all life; that God can hear me when I pray, even if I am not in church; and nice things are worth waiting for!

I Remember:

Cooking, cleaning and camping together, laughing lots and running home to your whistle before the street lights came on; Christmas trees, decorating, bayberry, pumpkins, Thanksgiving, our mountain home and ventures, and all the beach excursion . . . the sun, the salt and the Jonathan seagulls . . . art school and each event of my life that marked the milestones, each of which you helped to make so special.

I Remember:

Hearing your laughter when you and Poppie enjoyed dinner parties with your friends, small brown drinks with cream on top, in tiny little glasses with dainty handles. And in the early morning I would sneak in your bed. Your hair was still so pretty, done from the night before, and your eyelashes were so beautiful framing your big blue eyes . . . a bright green linen dress, with big black buttons, always thinking you dressed like a princess.

I Remember:

Favorite meals, that brought me comfort, vinegar and oil salads when I was sick, my play house, where I learned to be a good mom like you. . . I loved it there. You often lay in the warm sun while we played, reading with a jar of sun tea brewing beside you- with fresh mint you grew in a wooden barrel, you placed inside the tea---I can smell it!

I Remember:

Peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, watermelon, the dairy with fresh milk and the pouring spout, the buttermilk couch, the smell of hand hung sheets, rain storms, and rain water in buckets to wash my hair, babushka's, warm fires in the living room; hot tea each morning with Hobo Kelly, mothers cookies and Ice cream for breakfast, you said, "it contains all the food groups, so go ahead skinny at least you are eating something"

Oh my sweet Mama, there is so very much to say. I want you to know again that you have been the most perfect mother. The kind most only dream of having.

Recalling one of my most special days, it was in December after your surgery. You see, they said, you may not wake up. It was my turn, my five minutes to visit in the ICU. Your eyes were taped, your head was bandaged, you had a tube- and there they were, resting, your hands. The very same, they had not changed. I took them, so special, in mine and spoke softly. . .Mom it's me, I don't believe them, you can hear me, and you then blinked your eyes under the tape, my heart raced, I prayed. . . you stayed.

God only knows why since then, your journey has been so very difficult. Your strength and endurance is more than awesome; and even on the toughest days your gave unselfish loving words to all of us. Encouragement and the will to be our best is the message you have bestowed, with a soul mate that treasures your very being.

For all these years of your endured health trials, I know you have become weary. Please know I adore you, and thank you for the gifts you have placed upon me and my family with your love and motherhood. You will always be the angel beneath my wings and the light within my soul. May God wrap His loving arms around you every minute until you walk beside Him. You will always be one of the greatest parts of me.

You have my undying Love and Gratitude!

Forever your, Desi Ann

I had the privilege of living with my Aunt Shirley and Uncle Dan and Dana and Desi for a year. I went into this arrangement with an aunt, uncle and two cousins. After my stay with them, I had gained another mom, dad, and two sisters.

I remember the awesome hand knitted blankets my Aunt made me and the many bowls of ice cream I had under her roof. (God, I love ice cream.) Some of the best times we ever had were when we went camping, which we did a lot. And I remember the many hands of Rummy my Aunt would play with me. I always looked forward to those trips. One time my Aunt took me to Knott's Berry Farm for my birthday. That was a very special time. We went on those old cars. I was driving and trying to run over the chickens, and she said "What are you doing?" I told her, "I'm trying to get the chicken." Well, that was the end of my short and early driving career, but boy did we have fun.

Aside from being a very loving and generous woman, even in all her suffering, my Aunt's faith in God never faltered, something I have always admired about her. I think it is important that we do not forget the life and blessing that God has shared with us in the life of Aunt Shirley even though we are grieving.

My Aunt believed that her faith in Jesus was the only way to get to God and have eternal life. As you remember her today and in the future, I hope you also think of Him and how you too can receive eternal life. God can work in your life as He did in my Aunt Shirley's.

Aunt Shirley, you will be missed but never forgotten. I will always love you!

Love,

Keddy Boy