Shirlie M. Beacher, of Farmington Hills, a beloved mom, grandma, sister, aunt, and friend, passed into eternal life late Thursday evening, April 23, 2026, at WellBridge of Novi Senior Living. She was 86 years old.

Shirlie was born in her grandmother's home on November 22, 1939, in Murray, Kentucky, to the late Tracie and Eulala (Boyd) Elkins. Though she moved to Michigan as a young child in 1942, Kentucky always remained an important part of her story. Like many families of that generation, her parents came north for opportunity and work connected to the automobile industry and wartime manufacturing. Shirlie's family settled in Highland Park, while still traveling back and forth to Kentucky often, keeping close the people and places that shaped her earliest years.

Shirlie graduated from Highland Park High School in 1957. As a young girl, she loved roller skating, a joy that seemed to foreshadow the many years she would later spend around ice rinks, skating clubs, and children learning to love a sport. She met her husband, Jack Beacher, in Detroit when he was working at a butcher shop and Shirlie came in with her mother. From that beginning grew a life filled with family, friendship, and many happy memories. Together, Shirlie and Jack enjoyed boating, especially trips to Put-in-Bay, where they shared good times, laughter, and memories that remained special to her through the years.  Sadly, Jack passed away on January 17, 2011.

Shirlie and Jack were blessed with two daughters, Tracie and Tammie, and Shirlie poured herself wholeheartedly into their lives. When the girls became figure skaters, Shirlie became the definition of a devoted skating mom. She was there for the early morning practices, the long drives, the competitions, the costumes, the French braids, the sequins, the rhinestones, and every proud moment from the bleachers with her thermos of coffee. She cheered, encouraged, stitched, sparkled, and supported. Watching her girls skate was one of the great joys of her life.

Even after her daughters grew older and became skating coaches themselves, Shirlie remained part of the skating world she loved. She was active with the Plymouth Figure Skating Club and the Farmington Hills Figure Skating Club, and she worked at the Farmington Hills Ice Arena, especially with the Learn to Skate program. Generations of children knew her as "Miss Shirlie," the kind and encouraging woman who helped with skates, handed out stickers and little treats, offered comfort when needed, and celebrated every small accomplishment on the ice. She loved children, and children loved her.

That love for young people was also evident during her many years as a lunch aide at Hillel Day School. Shirlie had a way of leaving an impression on the children she met. Years later, former students still remembered her warmth, kindness, and presence. To them, she was not simply the lunch lady; she was someone who made them feel noticed and cared for.

Throughout her life, Shirlie wore many hats. She worked as a crossing guard for Farmington Public Schools, sold Tupperware, worked at Kmart, and in younger years worked at a movie theater and an insurance company. She was also a longtime member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary and enjoyed attending events, parades, and gatherings connected to Jack's VFW involvement. Whatever she did, Shirlie brought her own energy, personality, and unmistakable spirit.

Shirlie loved walking, reading, crossword puzzles, coloring, crafts, sewing, crocheting, and making things with her hands. She enjoyed sewing and decorating skating costumes, adding rhinestones and sparkle wherever she could. She loved her time at church and Bible study. She also loved dogs and had many beloved pets throughout her life.

More than anything, Shirlie loved her family. As her daughters became adults, their relationship with their mom deepened into friendship. They enjoyed dinners, New Year's Eve celebrations, and countless ordinary moments that became treasured memories. Shirlie was the fun mom—the one who would pick up her daughters and their friends, happily allowing a car full of teenagers to pile in, playing their music and laughing along the way. The more the merrier was her way of life.

When grandchildren came along, Shirlie's world became even brighter. She was thrilled to welcome her first grandson, Nolan, into a family that had long been full of girls. Then came Rylie, her beloved "baby chick," followed by the twins Ethan and Emilie, all of whom Grandma always said she loved "more than a porcupine." Each grandchild held a deeply special and personal place in her heart. She was present for their lives in every way she could be—at dance competitions, skating events, football games, baseball games, soccer games, band concerts, school programs, holiday events, and family gatherings. She did not want to miss anything, and so often, she didn't.

Shirlie was also a remarkable gift giver. Giving was one of her great love languages. Easter baskets continued long past childhood. Valentine's gifts, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, thoughtful surprises, and special treats were part of how she expressed love. On Tracie's 30th birthday, Shirlie gave her 30 gifts. At Christmas, she loved showering her grandchildren with presents, even when everyone insisted she had done more than enough. Her generosity extended beyond family. If a friend needed something, Shirlie noticed. Whether it was a coat, a thoughtful gift, or something deeply practical, she gave from the heart and expected nothing in return.

She was strong, resilient, funny, colorful, feisty, stubborn, sweet, unique, and unforgettable. Shirlie had a wonderful sense of humor and an openness to life that kept her young in spirit. In her 80s, she embraced Snapchat and loved sending funny pictures and videos to her family, often using filters and making everyone laugh. What began during the pandemic as a way to stay connected became one of her favorite ways to communicate. She proved that age was never a reason to stop learning, laughing, or keeping up with the people she loved.

Shirlie was tenderhearted and emotional, known to cry easily because she felt things deeply. Yet she was also a tremendous source of strength. Her daughters and grandchildren knew they could talk to her about anything. She listened, supported, loved without condition, and stood beside them through every season. Her family describes her as one of the strongest people they have ever known, and they are grateful for the strength, courage, and spirit she passed down to them.

Shirlie was widowed for 15 years following the death of her beloved Jack, and during those years she continued to live with determination, humor, grit, and faith. She faced many challenges and overcame more than seemed possible. Her family often joked that she had more than "nine lives"—seriously. She was, in every sense, one tough cookie.

Shirlie's legacy is one of unconditional love, generosity, and strength. She was a mother who showed up, a grandmother who celebrated everything, a friend who gave freely, and a woman whose personality filled every room she entered. She leaves behind the memory of a life lived brightly, fiercely, and lovingly.

In addition to Jack, Shirlie was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved grandmother, Annie "Mama Boyd" Boyd.  She will be deeply missed and forever cherished by her daughters, Tracie (Ron) Nussbaum and Tammie (Mike Geiger) Lowery;  her grandchildren, Nolan and Rylie Lowery, and Ethan and Emilie Nussbaum; her sister, Sherrie (Dennis) Buck; and the many children, skaters, students, and neighbors whose lives she touched through the years.

Family and friends may gather at the Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home in downtown Farmington for visitation on Monday, April 27, from 2-8 pm.

Shirlie's funeral ceremony is planned for Tuesday morning, April 28th at 11:00 am, also at Heeney-Sundquist. The Reverend Dr. James McGuire will preside.

Interment will follow at Glen Eden Memorial Park in Livonia.

Memorial tributes are kindly suggested to the Farmington Hills Meals on Wheels Program or Michigan Humane.

Shirlie now joins her beloved Jack in eternal life, where her family trusts she is at peace, surrounded by the love that guided her all her days.