Shirley Jean Stevens

Shirley Jean Stevens, 89, passed away on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at SouthWest Commons Assisted Living Center in Strongsville after a period of declining health.

Shirley was born on May 26, 1936 in Salinesville to Albert Roy and Mary Josephine (Sweeney) Stevens. She had received her Master’s Degree from Case Western Reserve University and had been a teacher for 43 years. Shirley taught as a Sister of Saint Joseph of Cleveland as Sister Mary Chaminade. She taught at St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Ignatius Elementary and Our Lady of Angels and many others while living in the Cleveland area. She also worked among the people in Tremont at St Augustine Parish. She moved to Des Moines, IA where she continued to teach as a lay person at many local schools including Park Avenue School until her retirement in 2001. She had a great love for little children, and she touched the lives of 1000’s of students over her career. She enjoyed playing the guitar and played for many masses and first communions. She was the Saint of the Stevens family, and she will be greatly missed.

Surviving is her longtime dear friend, Anne Buckard and many nieces and nephews.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents and sisters, Mary Kobe, Kate Leishman, Theresa Vratny, Alberta Schulz and Joanne Fox.

A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, Jan. 17th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 606 E. Washington St., Medina, OH 44256. A luncheon will follow the service at the church. Shirley will be buried at All Souls Catholic Cemetery with her parents at a later date.

For those who can’t make the service in person, it will be live streamed through the Saint Francis Xavier Parish website.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.