Shirley Ann (Wiruth) Ozmun passed away peacefully at her home in Portage, Michigan, on November 2, 2026, just two days before her 85th birthday.

Born in Penrose, Colorado, on November 4, 1941, Shirley spent her early childhood in Colorado and California before her family settled in Salina, Kansas. She grew up with her mother, Ruby, and Charles Wiruth, the father she lovingly called Papa. She graduated from Salina High School in 1960 and attended Emporia State University for one year.

Shirley met Ralph William Ozmun at a Valentine’s Day dance before he left to serve in the Army. They married on July 22, 1961, and made their home in his hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she trained to be a nurse. They shared 58 years of marriage before Ralph’s death from cancer in 2019.

Shirley and Ralph spent their entire married life in Kalamazoo County. Before moving to the farm, their two younger children talked them into raising rabbits for a 4-H project—which somehow turned into a garage full of rabbits for five years. They later spent 19 years on a 60-acre nut tree farm they named “Land of Oz Farms,” where they kept up with mowing 14 acres and rented fields to a local farmer to grow corn or soybeans. Their home always included at least one dog, and sometimes as many as four. After retirement, when keeping up with the farm became too much, they moved to a smaller home in Portage.

Shirley devoted 42 years to nursing as an LPN at Borgess Medical Center, spending most of those years in Outpatient Recovery. To her coworkers, she was affectionately known as “Ozzie.” After retiring, she and Ralph volunteered for several years at the Battle Creek Humane Society, where they eventually adopted their final dog, Sophie.

Of all her roles, Shirley was proudest of being a mom and grandma. She loved sending cards through the mail to family and friends, often including poems she wrote for special holidays and birthdays. Shirley was tickled by the silly things in life; she loved to laugh and often made up words like ‘razzleberries.’ Those who loved her knew her familiar words well: “Love you oodles.”

Shirley loved reading and, in recent years, listening to audiobooks. She delighted in animated movies, goofy children’s books, and silly mysteries involving cats. She was known for saving her quarters to spend on vacations, and though she never traveled far, she loved traveling vicariously through the Kiwanis Travelogues and stories of travel from her family. Though she didn’t grow up with technology, Shirley embraced texting as another way to stay close to the people she loved. Deciphering her messages sometimes became a family puzzle, but the love always came through. The only cooking Shirley ever really “enjoyed” happened in the microwave. She rarely went anywhere without several snack options, and her freezer could reliably be counted on to hold at least three flavors of Culver’s frozen custard. Ice cream was always a favorite.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Ruby and Charles Wiruth; her husband, Ralph William Ozmun; and their son, James W. Ozmun, who was stillborn.

She is survived by her daughter Kareen (Ozmun) Webber; granddaughter Danielle (Webber) Reycer and her spouse, Avery “AJ,” great-grandson Jackson; granddaughter Cristle (Webber) Weissmiller and great-grandsons AJ and Gavin; son Robert Ozmun and his wife, Kelly, and their daughters, Olivia and Carly; daughter Dena (Ozmun) Carlson and her husband, Jim; granddaughter Jessica Barrientes and her husband, Brad; great-grandchildren Tyra, Mackenzie, Shaun, Hannah, and Connor; and great-great-grandchild Malachi.

Her oldest daughter Kareen cared for her at home for the past several years, giving her the comfort of spending her final days in familiar surroundings.