Shirley Muendelein

Shirley Marie (Keding) Muendelein, age 82, of Shelby Township, Michigan, passed away peacefully at home on September 3, 2026, just two days before her 83rd birthday. Shirley was born on September 5, 1943, in Utica, Michigan, to Albert and Laura (Boettcher) Keding and grew up in Utica with her sisters, June and Lois. She graduated from Utica High School in 1961. In 1964, while working at a department store in Mount Clemens, Shirley met Kurt Ernest Muendelein, Jr. They married on December 18, 1965, beginning a life together that would span more than 60 years. After they married, Shirley worked as a bookkeeper and later spent many years as a waitress. Together, Shirley and Kurt raised three children, Cynthia, Kurt, and Nicole, and later welcomed six grandchildren and a great-grandson. Shirley was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and her family was always at the center of her life. Shirley had a lifelong love of travel. She and Kurt traveled extensively together and especially loved cruising, with trips throughout the Caribbean and to Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Together they also traveled to China and Egypt, among many other places. For all the remarkable places she visited, some of Shirley's favorite vacations were those spent at the beach. She also loved exploring her home state of Michigan, where she and Kurt made an annual trip to Mackinac Island and enjoyed visiting Frankenmuth for its familiar charm and a chicken dinner at Zehnder's. At home, Shirley found joy in reading, baking, and keeping in touch with friends and family. She was an excellent baker and was especially known for her Christmas cookies. Her sour cream sugar cookies became a beloved family tradition, which she baked and decorated first with her children and later with her grandchildren every Christmas. Shirley also loved corresponding with friends and family by mail. She rarely let a birthday or Christmas pass without sending a card, a tradition she continued throughout her life. It was one of the many quiet ways Shirley made sure the people she loved knew she was thinking of them. A lifelong Detroit Tigers fan, Shirley collected baseball cards as a child and remained a loyal fan throughout her life. She was also a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Utica, where her faith and church community remained an important part of her life. In recent years, she enjoyed volunteering with the church's Ladies' Aid. Shirley is survived by her beloved husband of more than 60 years, Kurt Ernest Muendelein, Jr.; her sisters, June Millington (the late Al) and Lois Abend (the late Harvey); and her three children, Cynthia Marie (Michael) Marsili, Kurt Ernest Muendelein, III (Andrea Vitale), and Nicole Shirley Bakare (the late Neal). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Olivia Laura Marsili, Emily Grace Marsili, Shelby Taylor (Zac) Rogers, Cameron Kurt Bakare, Leighton Meena Bakare, and Connor Neal Bakare; and her great-grandson, Isaac Langdon Rogers. Shirley will be remembered for her devotion to her family, her faith, her curiosity about the world, and the traditions she lovingly carried through the generations. She traveled across oceans and continents but always found happiness in the familiar things she loved best-a trip to Mackinac Island, a day at the beach, a good book, a Tigers game, Christmas cookies made with her family, and a card sent through the mail to let someone know she was thinking of them. Above all, Shirley will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all those fortunate enough to have known her. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, 8459 Hall Road, (3 Blks E. of Van Dyke) Utica, Michigan. Visitation will continue on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 45160 Van Dyke Ave, Utica, MI (at the corner of Hall Road and VanDyke) with the funeral service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Utica Cemetery. Your presence and support mean the most. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Shirley's memory to the Ladies' Aid at Trinity (https://www.trinityutica.com/give/) or Rx for Reading Detroit (https://rxreading.org/donate).

Shirley Muendelein

September 5, 1943 - September 3, 2026