Shirley Anne Deas' Obituary
Shirley Ann Deas, 81, passed away on May 14, 2017 at the home of her daughter, Kippen Cantin. God was merciful in that Shirley was able to spend a wonderful Mother's Day weekend with her family.
Shirley was known for her deep love of family, friends, and faith. She was a force of nature and her grandchildren would often say "Grandma's fierce!" There was no one better than Shirley to be in your corner when times were hard. Her zest for life, sense of humor and great style were unmatched. She loved her children and grandchildren and lived her life to the fullest.
Shirley was an accomplished duplicate bridge player, achieving Life Master status very early on. She was an active member of the Coronado Bridge Club in New Smyrna Beach, Florida and will be sorely missed there. She was also a college football fanatic. She could quote statistics on players and coaches alike. To say that FSU was her favorite team would be the understatement of the year. She bled garnet and gold. There is little doubt that the Seminoles will have a very good year; they will definitely have an angel on the field.
Shirley was born in Lakeland, Florida on September 1, 1935. She married James Deas on April 20, 1957. They raised their family in Orlando and later moved to New Smyrna Beach. Shirley loved New Smyrna Beach and all of the wonderful friends that she made there.
Shirley is preceded in death by her mother, Elizabeth McClelland; her brother Gary Smith; and her son, Steve Davis. She is survived by her husband, James; daughter Robin Wyatt and her husband, Paul; daughter Kelly Brice; and youngest daughter, Kippen Cantin and her husband, Don; brother, Paul Smith; and sister, Trela Perrin. She leaves behind nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Shirley at the New Smyrna Beach Yacht Club, 1201 South Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168, on June 3rd starting at 3 pm.
Floral arrangements are under the care of Pink Flamingo at Petals Florist, 201 Canal Street, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168, (386) 423-5927.
For those who wish to do so, donations may be made in Shirley's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at https://stjude.org .
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