2021. E. Shirley Stedman, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother, former Town of Amherst employee and cherished pillar of the South Amherst and South Church communities, died peacefully at her home on April 7, 2021. She was 92.

Born in Palmer, Mass., on June 28, 1928, Shirley was the daughter of Edward and Julia (Koziel) Wilk. They planned to name her Shirley Eleanor, but a priest required that it be the other way around to baptize her with a saint’s name. She was still raised as Shirley and always called that; however, she was adamant about including E. at the start of her full name.

Shirley graduated from Palmer High School in 1946 and worked as a legal secretary in Palmer until 1952. She met David Stedman of Amherst on a blind date in 1949; they married in March 1951 and in 1953 started a family that eventually included four children. They built a house in Amherst, then moved to Ware, Mass., for four years before buying back the Amherst house in 1962. Shirley lived there the rest of her life, first amid a close-knit group of relatives and friends and later developing tight bonds with many newer neighbors.

She raised her children largely on her own and put three through college. To help accomplish that, Shirley returned to work in 1972, putting her formidable accounting and bookkeeping skills to use as a clerk in the Amherst town accountant’s office. Her unwavering support for each of her children continued throughout her entire life.

After retiring in 1989, Shirley logged many miles driving to her children’s homes to visit, babysit and play with her grandchildren. She also accompanied their families on numerous vacations, and she was a regular on Amherst Senior Center bus and vacation trips.

Shirley was a passionate fan of the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and Celtics. She also cheered on her children at countless youth hockey and baseball games and then high school and adult hockey ones. When the Fenton’s hockey team that sons Terry and Paul played on bought team jackets after winning a league championship, they gave Shirley one inscribed with her name and “#1 Fan.”

She herself enjoyed swimming, ice skating, bike riding and gardening. Into her mid-80s, Shirley walked three miles a day and mowed her lawn on her riding mower. Knitting was a favorite activity; she expertly knit sweaters, scarves, blankets and afghans for family members and friends. She also loved country and polka music, reading and doing jigsaw puzzles and word searches. She had a warm, lively sense of humor and an endearing laugh.

South Church, located within view of her home, was also at the center of Shirley’s life. She was an active member for 68 years. During that time, she served as church secretary, taught Sunday school, was a member of the Ladies’ Benevolent Society, helped distribute the weekly church bulletin and worked at church suppers and coffee hours. Most notably, she knit more than 100 prayer shawls as a dedicated member of the Shawl Ministry. She also met many dear friends through the church.

Shirley was predeceased by her husband David in 1977 and her older sister Irene Wilk, who died in infancy in 1926. She is survived by her brother Edward Wilk of Wilbraham; daughter Diane Rees and her husband James of North Conway, N.H.; son Terry Stedman and his wife Cindy of Jamestown, Tenn.; son Craig Stedman and his wife Laura Nordman of Westborough, Mass.; son Paul Stedman and his partner Alison Paravano of Worcester, Mass.; and daughter-in-law Donna Stedman of Hubbardston, Mass.

She also is survived by eight grandchildren – Trevor and Kevin Rees; Kyle Jenks; Cassandra Murphy; Nathan and Lydia Stedman; and Nelson Jost and Jeremy Stedman – plus six great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Shirley’s family extends its gratitude to the caregivers from Judy’s Angels and Colony Care at Home – particularly Luz Cruz, Nilla Daveiga, Lisa Hresko and Julia Berry – who helped fulfill her wish to live out her life in her home, and to the team at Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice for their assistance, guidance and additional spiritual solace in the last weeks of her life.

An outdoor funeral service with social distancing is planned at South Church on Friday, May 7, at 11 a.m. Donations in Shirley’s memory may be made to South Church Amherst, 1066 South East St., Amherst, MA 01002. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com