Obituary of Shirley Jean Smith

Shirley J. Smith September 17, 1941 - August 18, 2022

Shirley was born in Spokane, Washington to Verner Storm and Vera (Breed) Storm and moved to the Monterey Peninsula at a young age. Shirley passed away peacefully at home after a long and courageous battle with cancer at the age of 80. At the time of her passing, she was surrounded with love by her daughter Angelica and her devoted caregivers, Nelba and Yvonne. She was a beloved mother, grandmother and sister, and a treasured friend to so many - as well as a favorite waitress on the Peninsula for 40+ years. She was an avid crossword puzzler, animal lover, QVC shopper and Teddy Bear collector. Shirley was known for her wit, humor, infectious laughter and lively conversation. She was always ready with a good joke or story. She was also known to embrace solitude and to be the life of the party at the same time. She was always impeccably dressed and looked her best no matter how she felt..and she made the best carrot cake and pecan pie this side of the Mississippi. She was a vibrant contributor to her community, the people of Monterey Peninsula, through her many years of work in the service industry. Oh the stories she could tell. She is already sorely missed by her friends and co-workers. She was preceded in death by her brothers Robert Storm and Ray Snyder. She is survived by her daughter Angelica Blatt (Marshal) of Monterey, her three granddaughters, Natalie Kocekian of Los Angeles, Claire and Shayna Blatt of Monterey, her sister Bonnie Grewell of Coeur d’Alene, her sister-in-law Jayne Snyder of Seaside and many nieces and nephews and of course her cherished Maine Coon cat - Gus.Shirley was blessed in her final days by the company of many friends and family who would visit. Her granddaughter Natalie, spent many an hour with her in those final months and weeks, and they shared stories, tales, love and jokes together. As one last wish, Shirley wanted to surprise her sister in Idaho; Natalie took her there in June of 2022 for a fun trip where they even visited the house Shirley grew up in and shared stories over margaritas. Her younger granddaughters, Claire and Shayna also had the honor to love and comfort her at her bedside in her final days. Our family would like to send love and so much gratitude to Nelba, Yvonne, Dolly and Cecilia – Shirley’s caregivers. Our family would also like to send a heartfelt thanks to Pacific Cancer Care and Drs. Zach Koontz, and John Hausdorf, and all of their gifted staff. Donations can be made in Shirley’s memory to the SPCA of Monterey County or Hospice of the Central Coast. A private funeral and celebration of life will be planned at a later date. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Angelica at angelicablatt@gmail.com