Shirley Ann Tedaldi

Shirley Tedaldi passed away peacefully into the arms of our Lord at the age of 90 on May 26, 2026. She died as she lived…on her own terms and in her own home. She was surrounded by family including her faithful and beloved canine companions, Lulu and Charlie who never left her side during her illness. 

Born on September 10, 1935, in Monroe, Michigan to William and Elenore Jarvis, she lived a life of quick wit, a generous spirit and fierce devotion to family and friends. 

Shirley’s greatest pride was her family. She was the beloved wife of the late Alfred Tedaldi; and a deeply cherished mother to three surviving children: Sherry Tedaldi, Barrie (Dave) Braschler and Dino (Cheryl) Tedaldi. 

Shirley loved life and it loved her back! She had a passion for horses, fast cars, motorcycles and boats - she owned them all and she always insisted on driving. No one resisted. She was an excellent driver, but her lead foot and a few citations caused a detour. 

At 80, Shirley was still driving like she was qualifying for NASCAR. One night when a mysterious vehicle (with funny looking, flashing lights) started trailing her on a dark expressway, she did what any responsible grandmother would do. She mashed the gas pedal on her Lexus LC 430 convertible up to 100 mph, leaving the trailing car eating her dust! The car chased her into a brightly lit public area. A furious police officer exited the vehicle and confronted her. She stared him in the eye and said, “ Officer, you are in an unmarked car! I had no intention of stopping. How would I know you were not going to rob or kidnap me!” She got another ticket. The car was sold shortly after this incident. 

She also loved trips to Las Vegas, Tommy Turtle ice cream sundaes, casinos with crab leg buffets, Motown music, driving her Tesla (fast) and riding her Can-Am motorcycle. When she was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2025, she was given six months to live. She accepted the cancer diagnosis but soundly rejected the six month limit on her life span, In the past 14 months, she took three trips to Las Vegas, multiple visits to her favorite local casinos, hired popular cover band, "Random Play” to play at her 90th birthday party, and rode her motorcycle at every opportunity. She consumed Tommy Turtle ice cream sundaes (whenever no one was looking), “Pretty Coffee” from Biggby and a boatload of Crab “Racoons”. When she could no longer travel, her family purchased an authentic, functioning slot machine from the legendary Star Dust Casino in Las Vegas and moved it into a prominent place in her home so she could play whenever she chose. 

She was a woman of few filters and many talents. At 90 years old, she still qualified for a master’s degree in the culinary arts. She could spice up any pot roast perfectly or conversation with a perfectly timed swear word (nothing bad). During her life she held real estate and appraiser’s licenses. She loved flipping houses before it was “trendy”. 

As a mother, Shirley took a leadership role in Campfire Girls and any sport or group her children were involved in. She was large and in charge and competitive in all her endeavors. She was a softball coach, a baseball coach who took her sportsmanship and competitive responsibilities very seriously. That was exhibited by the fact that she let her own daughter sit on the bench for most of her basketball games. Her daughter did not inherit the “sports” gene from Shirley. 

In recent years, Shirley was a senior citizen geocacher, an internet-based hide and go seek treasure hunt for adults. After years of geocaching, she finally gave it up after two embarrassing incidents where she was sited on her hands and knees looking inside a hollow log by passing joggers who gasped and asked if she needed medical attention. Then finally, she was questioned by the “dementia police” for climbing stop signs without a step ladder and peeling Tupperware containers off the bottom of dumpsters. 

She leaves behind her 3 children, 9 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, lots of nieces and nephews and her bonus daughter, Maribeth Way who all must figure out how to navigate life without her. This is the grandchildren’s message to their Grandma: "HAPPY GEOCACHING GRANDMA…CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU HAVE FINALLY REACHED YOUR ULTIMATE LIFETIME ‘GZ’ !! WE LOVE YOU AND WILL MISS YOU!"

 A special boundless thank you goes to Shirley’s nephew, John Jarvis. In her final months, John moved into her home and provided 24/7 care for Shirley. He became her live-In-chef, chauffeur, housekeeper, and personal nurse. He managed endless appointments and kept her, her dogs, and her household running in perfect condition. John was repaying a kindness she and Al showed to him while he was growing up. He repaid it a million times over, serving as her rock when she needed it most. The family expresses their deepest, most heartfelt gratitude to John for his ultimate gift of comfort and dignity, allowing her to remain in her home as she wished. 

If you see her family around town, ask them about Shirley’s help to catch the fugitives who famously robbed the bank in Saugatuck, her love of technology (she owned the first Radio Shack Computer, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, etc.), her haircuts, her ravioli, stealing 9 puppies as a little girl and stories of her fearlessly collecting rent. 

A celebration of life befitting her legacy will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers or donations, please extend a kindness to someone you know or to a stranger. You never know when you might need a kindness returned.