Obituary of Shirley Irene Broadbent

BROADBENT, Shirley (McCallum) – Shirley, surrounded by her family, her greatest love, passed away in peace, Sunday, August 6^th, 2023, at home.  She had just celebrated her 84^th birthday on Friday with a small group of her girlfriends.  Shirley has now joined her late husband, Ray (2016) and her late son Rob (2017) and we are happy knowing they are together.  Shirley will be very sadly missed by her family:  daughter Kathi and her husband, Craig Jolliffe; son Steve Broadbent and his wife, Linda Broadbent; and daughter-in-law Deb Broadbent. Her Grandchildren were a very important part of her life:  Tara Broadbent, Corey Broadbent and wife Erin; Stephanie Heffren and husband Greg, and Tim Broadbent and partner Hilary Warwick.  Great Grandchildren Payton Broadbent, Jane, Thomas and George Broadbent, Amelia and Olivia Heffren and Connor and Evelyn Broadbent brought such joy to her life.  Predeceased by Infant Great Grandson, Lucas Broadbent (2016).

Shirley was born in Malahide Township, near Springfield, and moved to North Yarmouth in 1944 where her father farmed.  She attended SS#23 Yarmouth (The Glen) Public School and Arthur Voaden Secondary School.  Upon graduation, she was employed in the office of the Department of Agriculture until the birth of her daughter.  In 1967, she joined the staff at Parkside Collegiate Institute where she worked until moving to The Elgin County Board of Education Administration Office in 1969 until her retirement in 1994.

She was active in the life of Central United Church where she taught Sunday School, was a member of the United Church Women, and served on the church council, serving two terms as Chair.  While she was Chair, the Inn Out of the Cold was established, in association with CMHA, to serve the area’s homeless.  She was on the Board of the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin and St. Thomas-Elgin Second Stage Housing.  Along with her husband, Ray, Shirley chaired the St. Thomas Rotary Music Festival for over 20 years for which Shirley was awarded a double Paul Harris Fellowship as well as a City of St. Thomas Volunteer Award.  Shirley was a volunteer with the VON Elgin-Middlesex and the Canadian Cancer Society.  In 1996, she received a Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her community involvement.

Shirley loved to cook and bake and spent many hours in the church kitchen organizing dinners, lunches and receptions.  Shirley was a Community Food Advisor with the Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit.  When the recession hit, she organized a cooking class to help people learn to cook on a budget.  Shirley also led the VON “Cooking for One Class”.  Shirley and Ray, together with their team, oversaw the feeding of 100’s throughout the 2010 International Plowing Match in St. Thomas. 

Shirley loved her garden and enjoyed walking and reading but her main source of joy was her family.

Shirley is survived by her sister Aileen Isaac and brother and sister-in-law, Russ and Barb McCallum as well as many nieces and nephews.  Sister, Louise Berry, predeceased Shirley.

Visitation will be held at the Shawn Jackson Funeral Home, 31 Elgin Street, St. Thomas (519-631-0570) on Sunday, August 13^th, 2023, from 2:00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00.  A Celebration of Shirley’s Beautiful Life will take place on Monday, August, 14^th, 2023 at Central United Church, 1:30 p.m.  Private Internment of Ashes at Elmdale Memorial Park Cemetery.

The family would like to extend our very sincere gratitude for the care, kindness and support of Dr. Colin Bolzon and Nurses Amanda, Jen and Nicole from Care Partners Palliative Care through Home and Community Care and Ruth Newsome for your devoted support and friendship to Shirley.  Your care of not only Mom but all of us was beyond what we could have imagined. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Central United Church, YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin, the Canadian Cancer Society, VON Middlesex-Elgin or St. Thomas Second Stage Housing.  And, like Shirley would, she would ask you give an extra hug, today, to those you love.