Happy birthday Pearl!
September can't start without thinking about you!
You "Shirley" are missed!
Until we meet again, Kellie Ann

"MEYER"
Remembering you today and everyday.......
What a lucky kid I was to have you in my life!
With my love and thanks,
Kellie Ann

A foursome of women golfing at the Monroe Golf & Country Club on the 17th green is the setting. A bird "drops" on one of the ladies heads and left everyone in embarrassed shock for the woman. Shirley looks at the woman and says, "for the rich they sing!" I love and miss you Meyer.

Meyer,
Thank you. Thank you for all the fun memories you've left for me. I am so blessed that you were such an important part of my story. I cannot think of you without smiling. I will always miss you, until we meet again....Kellie

Love you Shirley!

Mike and Bill...Because of her most colorful and interesting life…I am still waiting for her memories! Never forget… With love and blessings…VIckie and Tommy

How has it been 3 years?
Life keeps changing but it is always a delight to remember beautiful, classy you!
Say Hi to Dad!

GOOD, BAD, WONDERFUL AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN...I'D DO IT OVER IN A SECOND! NO HESITATION...LOVE AND MISS YOU,
NURSE RATCHET AKA THE GENERAL

Two years is both a long and short time. The effect of Shirley on my life is forever. She taught me dignity, compassion, and humor. It was such an honor to be involved in her care. My love extends to her family and friends.

Happy Birthday, Miss Shirley..I imagine you every evening I see a beautiful sky up in heaven arranging the colors, adding an artistic splash here and there and laughing that great laugh all the way...love and miss you here. PS: Please say "Hi" to my Mom, she'd be the one standing behind you handing you the brush and colors!

How can we ever forget our lovely Shirley Meyer- your laughter, your spirit, joy of life, commitment to your family, friends and community, unconditional love and open mind. We learned so much from you and every day you are in our hearts and mind. yes, a true class act.
we miss you and the world is just not the same without you!

Remembering a wonderful woman who inspired me to deeply enjoy the pleasures of life and to bear the pains with dignity. You will always be in my heart.
Pat

Shirley's life was one to emulate. Her warmth and caring connection with all the people in her life as well as her incredibly generous spirit will stay with us forever. Shirley was instrumental in helping me launch my new career at Liberty and we are deeply appreciative to the entire family. With love and many great memories. Clint and Joan

Meyer.....you still make me smile.

I loved viewing this wonderful page in memory of Shirley! Such an amazing, special lady who loved her family and her community!! I am deeply saddened to have not been able to attend her memorial services...and continue to think of her and her family. What a classy lady....  Danny Thomas once said, "The world is full of givers and takers..." Thank you, Shirley, for being a true giver and for your extreme generosity and grand leadership for our community. I am so grateful to have known you and will miss you.

There is an old proverb that says: “A man in a small village needed to build a large stone fence but had only a wheelbarrow full. He appealed to his friends and neighbors to come to his aid, and before long, he had enough rocks and stones to erect a tremendous fence.”

Mrs. Shirley Meyer and Monroe County Community College and its Foundation are forever intertwined.

In December of 1997, in making one of her first gifts to The Foundation, Mrs. Meyer used this quote in a note she sent to then-President Jerry Welch, saying:

“I am happy to be able to be a part of the growth of this very important part of our community. Hopefully, my stone will act as a seed and attract many more stones, until it becomes a giant rock that will continue to grow!”

And indeed it has….

Mrs. Meyer forever changed Monroe County Community College when in 1998, just two months after The Foundation’s incorporation, she presented The Foundation with a $1 million donation. Her gift launched this young organization with momentum and enthusiasm unparalleled in our community. And then, over the next 15 years, she supported the growth of The Foundation with gifts of her time, talent and treasure….eagerly serving as the honorary chairperson of the Realizing the Vision Capital Campaign and playing a critical role in securing a $2 million gift from the La-Z-Boy Foundation.

When Mrs. Meyer launched the capital campaign in 1999 with her donation, there were no plans or architectural renderings to inspire her. The vision she so readily and powerfully embraced was expressed in words and founded in her understanding that our college and our community needed a state-of-the-art facility for use by students, by business, and by the community-at-large. She knew that such a facility would dramatically enhance the quality of life in our community and expand the hallmarks of our cultural life and our educational programs.

She saw her gift as an exciting opportunity to return a measure of her family’s success to the Monroe community and share with all of us her love of the arts.

MCCC President Jerry Welch truly captured this moment and the feelings in all of our hearts when he wrote to Mrs. Meyer,

“As someone once noted, ‘we live in the present, we dream of the future, and we learn internal truths from the past.’ Much of what you have done is reflected in this quotation. Through your contribution this year, you have inspired and given life to a dream, and the reality of the dream will enrich the lives of many and illustrate to all that, indeed, it is more noble to give than receive.”

In 2000, the Monroe County Community College Board of Trustees recognized Mrs. Meyer’s contributions to the college and her community by awarding her an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree for distinguished serve to the college. And while this might seem the culmination of a truly inspiring story, it is far from it.

Mrs. Meyer carried the college’s story with her and proudly told everyone that she believed the college to be the “crown jewel” of Monroe County and that it would take all of us to insure that this valuable resource continued to grow and enhance lives.

When the La-Z-Boy Center and Meyer Theater opened in 2004, I don’t believe there was a happier or more proud person than Mrs. Meyer. I remember the grand opening celebration as if it were yesterday – the Black & White Gala. As the lights came up on stage for the first time, there was no brighter light than Mrs. Meyer’s – seated in Row F, center stage in what would become “her favorite seat in the house.” And the party that followed – well, let me just say that when Mrs. Meyer was in the house – we were going to have a party that everyone would remember.

In 2007, we all learned that since the grand opening of the building, Mrs. Meyer had been searching for “just the right piece of outdoor sculpture to welcome students and visitors” when she donated “Circled Squared,” a dynamic, contemporary sculpture to be placed at the entry to the building.

I think I need to clarify, some of us learned she had been searching – it’s now my understanding that her family might have more accurately called this a “quest” that they had all been on for three years.

In donating the sculpture, Mrs. Meyer said that it “spoke to her” and that she hoped it would speak to all of us and that we would find it both fascinating and beautiful in its simplicity, yet projecting a very high level of kinetic energy. She believed that its artistic energy was emblematic of the human energy in the performing arts and that it represented her highest aspirations for the facility.

 
Mrs. Meyer’s leadership and philanthropic spirit, coupled with her belief in the mission of the College and her desire to give back to the community she so dearly loved, stand as ideals for all of us. She was an extraordinary individual, and we all feel so fortunate to count her as both friend and benefactor of the college.

Her remarkable spirit lives on with us and as the stage lights come up on each and every performance in the Shirley A. and Richard M. Meyer Theater, she will be with us….enjoying, celebrating, and anticipating the next time we will be together.

As well as the many civic contributions she has made to the Monroe community, I will always remember, with great fondness, the significant role Aunt Shirley played in providing me with happy childhood memories. 

Cathy Meyer Andrews

Whenever I hear Frank Sinatra's song "My Way" I think of Shirley. She certainly did it "her way" and had a great time doing it! She took so many people along for that fun ride and we each have memories of her that we will always cherish. 

Thanks Shirley! Its hard to say goodbye!

Deanna and I truly enjoyed getting to know Shirley. Her zest for life was contagious! We are reminded of her genorisity and philanthropic spirit each time we set foot in the wonderful Meyer Theater at MCCC. Although we cannot be there on Saturday to help celebrate her wonderful life, we send our deepest sympathy, love and prayers. She will be missed.

So happy to have known the unforgettable Miss Shirley Adele. Am humming Our Song: "Twas a cold winter's evening....". We had SO much fun together. Shirley will always be with all who knew her in her great spirit. Love to you and to her.  Judy & Dave

"From the inception of the college we provided for Performing Acts, lectures, music Vocal as well as Instrumental. More than 40 years later the dream of having a beautiful 600 seat Auditorium with amazing acoustics became a reality! Thanks to the generosity of a beautiful lady. We will miss you Shirley!!! Delle and Ron Campbell

What a grand and full life lived. She has left a tremendous legacy of generosity to her beloved community and college. I feel lucky to have been able to meet her through Monroe County Community College.

So sorry to hear about Shirley passing. She was an amazing, wonderful character. Loved her PIZZAZZ! The hair, the laugh...what fun it was to be in her presence. Mostly,what a wonderful MOM, she so loved every minute with you, Mike and was so proud of you. We've always been , too. You have your mother's fun sense of humor & loyalty to community. She was much loved & you are , too.

Shared a story

I had the pleasure of first meeting Shirley on a trip to Ft. Lauderdale in the mid 2000s to videotape a testimonial from her about her gift that made the Meyer Theater a reality. We shot the footage on her yacht, and then spent the rest of the evening having dinner and listening to Shirley tell wonderful stories about her life. It was a night I will never forget. Truly an amazing woman.

As each of us passes through time we reflect upon the characters in life and the characters that are larger than life, characters that are perhaps from a bygone era. Shirley Meyer was one of those extraordinary individuals, larger than life itself, a member of the Greatest Generation whose remarkable actions and selfless contributions made our community a better place in which to live.

Monroe has lost a grand lady in the passing of your mother, your aunt, your grandmother and our friend, Shirley Meyer. She was a great woman and a role model for all. She was a strong and bright force that got things done and led others to follow her generous path. We will miss that beautiful smile! Good Bye dear friend and neighbor.

She was amazing woman! I am truly blessed to have known her. I will always remember the weekend we spent in Key West with Dame Shirley, Lee, Michael and Bill. What Fun ! Her peels of laughter will ring in my ears forever! And, yes, she was the quintessential DAME !!