Shirley Sommerschield

Shirley has a new address.

On June 29, 2026, at 86 years old, Shirley made her journey to heaven.

Shirley entered the world in Lakewood, Ohio, on March 22, 1940, to parents Eleanor (Spencer) and E. Philip Earl.

While attending the University of Michigan, Shirley found her future husband at a church group and captured his attention with a donut. Following graduation with a nursing degree, Shirley married Harold Sommerschield in Lakewood on August 18, 1962.

Shirley and Hal first lived in Elmhurst, Illinois. Shirley worked in a hospital where she enjoyed floating between floors and departments…except for orthopedic surgery. She shared fond memories of visiting her mother-in-law after her hospital shifts and snacking on cottage cheese and peaches.

Shirley and Hal moved to Michigan where they lived in Lansing, Holt, Bay City, Fenton, Frankenmuth, and Grand Blanc. Shirley worked at home for several years raising her four children. When she re-entered the outside work force, she taught nursing classes for some time in Flint and then began managing Hal’s psychological practice. When she wasn’t on the phone endlessly dealing with the many idiosyncrasies of insurance companies, she enjoyed talking to clients before and after their sessions with Hal. Shirley never advertised being married to the psychologist and was always amused to hear clients speak to her about Hal so fondly. Shirley took delight in the clients’ willingness to invite her into their lives.

In 1986, Shirley and Hal purchased their home in Harrisville, Michigan. What began as a weekend home became a half-time home then eventually their full-time home. The home was Shirley’s greatest love and continuous project from the beginning. She investigated the history of the house and took great pleasure when the occasional person would stop by unannounced to share their connection to the house from when they were a child. She led the multi-year renovation project while living half-time downstate and always anticipated seeing the progress that was made, or not, while she was gone. The gardens on the property ignited her. As a master gardener, she enjoyed creating beds that would have interest year round but she didn’t want to spend a lot of money. Buying inexpensive plants then seeing what lived and thrived was how she rolled. Once the plants were ready for the season, she spent the remainder of the summer and fall months throwing mulch onto the beds. Trailer loads of mulch. Recruiting anyone who had the temerity to ask if she needed any help with anything. It’s impossible to know how many hours she spent working outside. She found peace, beauty, inspiration, hope and love in her gardens.

Shirley loved when her children and their families visited. She really got a kick out of cracking jokes and trying to get straight-faced doctors to smile. Vacationing in Florida, playing the piano and organ, reading gardening magazines, and giving unsolicited suggestions were some of her other pleasures. She instilled into her children and grandchildren the belief to approach uncertainty as an adventure. She loved her family fiercely, she was persistent as heck, and she could get riled up like no other—all because she cared so deeply. She lived a life of trust, acceptance, empowerment, determination and gratitude felt and cherished by Hal, her family and friends.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 63 years, Harold; her children, Stephen (Laura), Karin Cooney (Bob), Kristin Hungerford, and Kammelyn Freed (Edward); her grandchildren, Samuel, Katie (Geoff), Peter, Kiri, Jack, Leelou, Maggie, Grace, Thomas, Rachel and Evelyn; brothers-in-law William (Judy) and Daniel (Helen) Sommerschield; sisters-in-law Janith Pelzer and Min-Chih Earl; and nieces and nephews.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, her parents-in-law Wm. Stanley and Evelyn Sommerschield, her sister Beverly Earl, her brother Richard Earl, and her brother-in-law Rubin Pelzer.

No formal services will be held.