Shirley Jean den Broeder

Shirley Jean den Broeder, 75, of Reynoldsburg passed away on Thursday March 3, 2011

She was born January 11, 1936 in Newark, Ohio to the late Murrell and Ruth Robison Orr.

She is survived by her son, Jody den Broeder, her brother Paul Orr, her sisters Nancy Channell, Caroline King, Elizabeth Williams, and Marjorie Bergstrom and many loving nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers David Bline, John Orr and Lee Orr, and her sister Kathleen Orr. Shirl will be remembered for her love for her son and family and her love for the outdoors. She could often be found tramping through nearby parks searching for mushrooms. She became an expert in identifying mushrooms a mycologist.As a volunteer with the Metro Parks, she led hikes to teach others how to identify mushrooms and shared her love of the subject. A walk in the woods with Shirl made you open your eyes to the beauty around you. She also loved history and could usually be found with a book in her hand or more recently with a netbook in hand. She spent years researching family genealogy and always had a family story to share. Recently she developed a passion for raw foods and could often be found growing micro-greens and dehydrating whatever she could think of to dehydrate. She loved creating her own recipes and sharing the result with others. More recently she found a spiritual home at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Reynoldsburg where she found others who shared her love of the environment. She led meditation groups and delivered the Thanksgiving service where she shared another passion ? early American history and the life of native Americans. While her time there was brief, she spoke often of her delight in finding this new home and the friendships she made there.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be announced here later.

Donations are requested to Columbus Metro Parks, 1069 West Main Street, Westerville, OH 43081 in her memory.