Shirley Anne Thomas

With deep love, we celebrate the life of Shirley Anne Thomas (née Wearmouth), who passed away peacefully on September 25, 2025, at the age of 90.

Shirley grew up on a dairy farm on Lochend Road. Her parents, Tom and Annie Wearmouth, were homesteaders in the Glendale area, and Shirley was the youngest of seven children.

Shirley’s early education required riding a horse to the one-room Glendale School from 1941 to 1950. She loved to ride and often took the long way home. In the fall of 1950, she continued her education at Crescent Heights High School in Calgary, boarding during the week and returning home on weekends to help with family chores. After graduating in 1953, she began the three-year Registered Nurse program at the Calgary General Hospital School of Nursing. During those years she made dozens of lifelong friends and met her future husband, Bob Thomas.

After graduation, Shirley and Bob were married in the fall of 1957. They eventually purchased a 20-acre property across the road from her father so she could assist with his care in his final days.

Shirley’s life was spent connecting with family, fellow nurses, friends, and nature. She loved the outdoors—gardening, camping, boating, golfing, riding horses, and berry picking in the summer —and she treasured countless family and nursing school reunions. A passionate volunteer, she gave generously to her community and was an avid family historian, maintaining records that stretched back hundreds of years. She was a proud supporter of the Cochrane Historical & Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS).

Shirley worked for 45 years as a Registered Nurse, spending much of her later career in palliative care in both Calgary and Cochrane. In 2004, she and Bob retired to enjoy more time with family and friends. They loved hosting social gatherings, family reunions, and RV trips that took them to every province and territory in Canada except Nunavut.

Her grandchildren brought particular joy to her life. She cherished weekend sleepovers at the acreage and summer camping trips throughout Alberta, leaving her grandchildren with a legacy of love, laughter, and stories.

Shirley and Bob celebrated 66 years of marriage before Bob’s passing in August 2024.

Shirley will be deeply missed by her brother Dennis (Maida), sons Bruce (Philippa), Glen (Elise), Keith (Laura), and Wayne (Patricia); her grandchildren Mahri (Garrett), Mitchell (Ali), and Will, her extended family and many friends.

A Celebration of Life Open House will be held on Sunday, October 26, at Flores & Pine in Bearspaw between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. Tributes will begin at approximately 2:30 p.m., and guests are invited to share their own memories of Shirley. The tribute portion will be recorded and available for download by request to the family.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to Alberta Health Services, Rocky View Private Health Care, the staff and management at Grande Avenue Village, Cochrane Country Funeral Home, and the many friends and relatives who were such an essential part of her life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating or volunteering to support a charity of your choice