Shirley A. Hoch, 85

Shirley Hoch

Shirley Hoch

FORT MYERS, FLA. — Shirley Anne Stevenson Hoch, 85, passed away quietly Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, at Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers, Fla., following a short illness.

Shirley was born in Washington, D.C., and retired to live on Sanibel Island, Fla., for many years. Although she lived in over 25 communities during her life, her favorite home was her cottage on Barker Pond near Hiram. After visiting there when she was 16, she returned when she was 25 and spent every summer there, including this past one, enjoying the leisurely pace, her view of the lake and many sunsets, surrounded by family and longtime friends.

Shirley graduated from Germantown Friends School (Pa.) in 1949 and Oberlin College (Ohio) in 1953, and married Standley H. Hoch Jr. Initially, she taught kindergarten, after which she and Stan raised their four sons in North Syracuse and Ossining, N.Y.; Lynnfield, Mass.; Mississauga, Ontario; and Wilton, Conn.

Shirley enjoyed many hobbies, including quilting. As grandchildren went off to college, she made a personalized quilt for each. She also enjoyed handwork, crafts, traveling, volunteering at the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village, flowers, Scrabble, Words with Friends, and reading. She was a frequent visitor at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, where she liked to show her family and guests the roseate spoonbills at sunset. Shirley loved the theatre and was a book club member on Sanibel and at the Soldier's Memorial Library in Hiram. She was also a member of the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ.

Her greatest love was her family and spending time with them.

She is survived by her four sons, Standley III of Venice, Fla., James of Bronxville, N.Y., Robert of Wilton, Conn. and William of Auburndale, Mass.; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; her brother, Richard Stevenson of Eugene, Oregon; her sister, Terry Lochhead of Kittery; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by Standley, her husband of 43 years.

Donations in her name may be made to: Soldiers Memorial Library, 85 Main Street, Hiram ME 04041 or Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (sccf.org).