Tipp City resident Shirley Jean Shreve Bell passed away on February 2nd, 2021 at the age of 83. Born June 14th, 1937 in Cincinnati, Ohio to a large family, Shirley was one of Augusta St. Mathilda LaWarre Shreve and Irving Shreve's eleven children. She was a seasonal worker at Tipp's Springhill Nursery for a number of years and also worked for Dolly Toy Co. Her passion was being a wife, mother, and grandmother. She is preceded in death by her husband of sixty-four years, George Andrew Bell. She is survived by their three children Joseph Matthew II, Mary Louise (Phil Didier), and Kimberly Ann, their grandchildren Aaron Didier, Natalie Didier Wideman, and twins Matty Ian-Marie and Mitchell Richard, as well as five great-grandchildren.
Known by her loved ones as the "Cincinnati Card Shark", she excelled at most card games, particularly canasta and rummy. She also tried her hand at poker – and won her first game, despite having no poker face, because no matter the game, whenever she had a winning hand, she couldn't help but to laugh gleefully about it. Shirley and her late husband were compassionate animal lovers; she was the owner of several dogs in her lifetime, and spent many years feeding the neighborhood cats. She enjoyed letting them take over her backyard and would playfully argue about them with her husband, who fed the neighborhood birds and squirrels. She took up many hobbies over her life. She practiced aerobics for several years, went on walks with her sister-in-law Pat, and was part of the local Tipp City club Take Off Pounds Sensibly (T.O.P.S.) for more than two decades. She also retained the soprano range she cultivated in her high school choir days, and would often accompany people, whether it was her husband and his baritone voice or one of her twin grandchildren at the piano. One of her biggest joys in life was keeping house; in addition to her eagle eye for cleaning and organizing, her family loved when she broke out her culinary skills, such as her signature dishes of potato soup, coleslaw, and deviled eggs. She took a special pride in caring for her home and in doing so, she ensured that all her loved ones always felt at home when they were in her presence.
Private family service at Dayton National Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted to FRINGS AND BAYLIFF FUNERAL HOME 327 W. Main St. Tipp City, OH 45371.