Shirley Datamore Obituary

Shirley Lee Datamore

Shirley Lee (Adams) Detamore, 96, of McComb, died peacefully Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Bridge Hospice Care Center, Findlay.

Loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, Shirley was born July 21, 1927, in Zanesville, to Thurman and Mayme (Marsh) Adams. From her early childhood years, she loved her name Shirley because she was an avid fan of movie star Shirley Temple. She owned a Shirley Temple doll, a Shirley Temple dress, and she saw all her movies. Shirley loved to perform throughout her lifetime and was blessed with a beautiful voice. Even her elementary music teacher recognized her talent and gave Shirley the honor of singing the school alma mater on a local radio show called "Kiddy Hour." When her family moved to Canton and she attended Canton Lincoln High School, she developed a life-long relationship with her chorus teacher, Ruth Cogan. Shirley was so honored when Miss Cogan chose her as one of only four students who were selected to attend Westminster Choir College over the summer and featured her on solos and duets in the choir's operettas and concerts. It was also Miss Cogan who encouraged Shirley to major in music performance at Otterbein College in Westerville. It was there that Shirley was cast in the role of Maid Marion in Otterbein's first operetta, "Robin Hood." It was also there that she met her future husband, Bill Keith Detamore, who was also a music major. They were married June 5, 1949, at the Otterbein College chapel. Shirley was often asked to sing for weddings and other special occasions. In her younger years, she was lead soloist in a dance band and sang in church choirs and community choirs throughout her adult life. Even as late as 2022 and 2023, she performed duets with her daughter, Gail, at a McComb Lions Club Over 80s party and twice at St. Paul's Church in Findlay.

Shirley's other talents and interests included writing poetry, knitting, crocheting, baking, and collecting antiques. She and her husband enjoyed living in the country where they could have large flower and vegetable gardens and a fruit orchard. Of course, this meant she spent most of the summer and fall cooking, freezing, and canning all that bountiful food, but she never complained. Bill and Shirley looked forward every fall to entering their home-grown produce, antiques, crafts, and canning and baked goods in the Hancock County Fair where they were awarded many ribbons including lots of first-place blue ribbons and several Reserve champion and even Grand Champion Rosettes.

Her occupations outside the home included working at a local bakery, working as one of the first cookie assembly line workers at Consolidated Biscuit Company, and working as a secretary at Cadillac Glass Company (all located in McComb), but not until her four children were attending school.

Family and friends were the most important things in her life. She loved attending her children's sports and music activities even after they had families of their own. She loved to celebrate birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, band gigs, plays, musicals, and holidays with her children, grandchildren, and friends. She especially looked forward to hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas when the whole family would gather to eat, visit, eat, sing around the piano, and eat. She was a great cook and taught all her children how to make her award-winning pies.

Some of her fondest memories were the trips she took with her family, her college friends (known as the "Round Robin" group), her sisters' families, and her husband's siblings' families as well. Everything from camping trips to luxury cruises, she loved them all.

When friends would drop by for a visit unannounced, she would always stop whatever she was doing to make a fresh pot of coffee, drag out the sweets, and sit and chat. She was a great hostess and always made everyone feel loved and welcome. If she could not talk to you in person, the telephone was "the next best thing to being there."

Shirley was a woman who faced many personal health issues and the loss of many close family members over the years, but she exhibited miraculous strength and peace because of her faith in Jesus and in everlasting life. She was a long-time member of McComb Methodist Church, but also attended St. James Methodist Church in North Baltimore and St. Paul's Church in Findlay.

She is survived by her daughter, Diane (John) Dendiu of Mishawaka, Indiana; daughter, Gail (Mike) Malloy of Findlay; son, Mark (Voni) Detamore of North Baltimore; eight grandchildren, Paul, Matt, Rachel, Michael, Joel, Josh, Jordan, and Valerie; 11 great-grandchildren, Jadyn, Hollyn, Emma, Lucas, Landon, Addison, Ben, Levi, Liam, Josiah, and Emmitt; sister, Sue Priemer of Sandusky, Michigan; and many nieces, nephews, and longtime friends to cherish her memory.

Shirley was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bill; son, Keith; parents; and sister, Edith (Ross) Anthony.

Visitation will be 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, 2024, until the time of Shirley's celebration of life at 4 p.m. at Hanneman Funeral Home, 370 Park Dr. S., McComb, Ohio, 45858.

A private family gathering previously took place Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.

Memorial contributions may be gifted in Shirley's honor to either an endowed scholarship at Otterbein University called the Round Robin End Scholarship - Gerald '49 and Mirian '51 (Wetzel) Ridinger (in memory of Shirley, Bill, and their college friends), Otterbein University, 1 S. Grove Street, Westerville, Ohio, 43081, and include on the memo line the name of the fund, online at https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/10431/donations/new, or charity of the donor's choice.

Hanneman Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Shirley and encourages those wishing to send a condolence or fond memory to visit www.hannemanfuneralhomes.com.