Shirley Ann Jozsa (nee Slowski)
Peacefully and with her loving husband and family by her side, Shirley Ann Jozsa passed away on Thursday, July 26 from cancer at the age of 67. Cherished wife to Joe, beloved mother to daughter Sheila (Jeffrey Woodward), and sons Robert (Lori Schuster), and Mike (Michelle Beitel), devoted grandmother to Esten and Nathaniel Jozsa, Joseph and Anna Woodward, all of Regina. Shirley also is survived by her sister Gerry (George) Zerebecky of Saskatoon and their sons Marko and Andrei; sister-in-law Julia Coutts and nieces Kate and Alison Slowski. Sadly predeceased by her brother David Slowski, and her parents John Slowski and Katie Slowski Kozun and stepfather John Kozun. Shirley was born in the summer of 1945 in Nipawin, where she met and married Joe in 1963. Together, they raised a family in Regina and Prince Albert. Their marriage was a true love affair. Their devotion to one another was unwavering. It was a gift to be in their company. Generous and outgoing, with a personality and concern for her community that drew people to her, Shirley embraced life with wonder and laughter, a fierce dedication to her family and a belief that we all must make every day matter. She lived her life with honour and integrity, and she understood that by our actions we express our values and our priorities. Family was her first priority, being a mother was her greatest joy, and a grandmother her greatest blessing. Joe and the kids knew that she was in their corner, no matter what. Shirley had a gift for making life-long friends. She was especially fond of her ‘Amber Group’, who met each month to celebrate special events in one another’s lives. Shirley knew there are those in our communities who need our help and she reached out to them. In Prince Albert, she introduced and coordinated a ‘cuddle program’ for newborns at Holy Family Hospital. With Joe, she held marriage preparation courses for engaged couples. Working in her church, she became a licensed lay Minister, and was elected People’s and Bishop’s Warden in St. Alban’s Cathedral. When the family returned to Regina, Shirley started her own business as a creative seamstress, with sales through the Farmers’ Market, Cathedral Village Arts Festival, and open houses that were the most fun way to try on her creations. A life-long learner, Shirley took adult counseling courses, leadership training for Sensible Training for Effective Parenting through Natonum Community College in Prince Albert and classes from the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Regina. She and Joe were members and dedicated volunteers at St. James Anglican and St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral. Most recently, Shirley raised funds for STEM, a non-profit Saskatchewan organization whose mission is to raise awareness and provide information about the Saskatchewan Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, and was a member of Grandmothers for Grandmothers Regina, a group of Regina and area grandmothers dedicated to alleviating the plight of grandmothers in Africa as they care for children orphaned by the AIDS pandemic. Shirley would be the first to say that all of this paled compared to the great joy, satisfaction and fun that came from being a Bubba to Esten, Nathaniel, Joseph and Anna. Her was a life well lived! We miss her deeply and will honour all that she was and all that she accomplished whenever we gather as a family. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the medical, nursing and support staff of Unit 6A at the Regina General Hospital for the care and comfort they extended to our mother and grandmother. It made it easier for us to know that she was in such compassionate care. A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, August 2 at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, 3233 Argyle Street, Regina, SK. In lieu of flowers, the family requests an act of kindness or generosity for someone in need as a testament to the values that Shirley held close to her heart. To view Shirley’s life gallery: facebook/shirley.jozsa. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com

• Date : 2012-07-26 06:00:00