Obituary of Shirley M. Johns

Shirley Margaret (nee Farr) Johns, passed away peacefully into a better world on April 30, 2020 at the young age of 94. She was born in Buffalo on September 5, 1925, the only child of Franz and Margaret (Schaeffer) Farr. Shirley graduated from Kenmore High School in 1943 and soon after married her high-school sweetheart, Clark J. Johns, on December 17, 1943. They were married for over 69 years until his unexpected death in February 2013. They resided in the towns of Pendleton and Cambria, and since 2003 in the Town of Lockport. Shirley and Clark traveled extensively both domestically and internationally, her favorite place being London. She had always believed she had lived there in a previous life. They enjoyed camping and spending time in various states visiting friends and family. She enjoyed having family picnics, fancy dinner parties, a chat on the couch, a phone call from anyone who needed advise, to vent, and to share. She loved to bake and was known to be able to make soup out of a railroad tie. Christmas was not Christmas unless she had baked enough cookies, starting in September, to fill the freezer. Her reading and crossword puzzle expertise were like no other. She worked in the fields of her loves as a Librarian Assistant at Starpoint Elementary School and as a travel agent at Niagara & Erie Travel Agency in Lockport. Shirley was a member of the First Baptist Church in Newfane and was the last surviving original member of Modern Mothers Club of Lockport. Shirley was pre-deceased by her loving, devoted husband, Clark Sr (2013), a son Clark Jr (1994) and her youngest grandchild, Nathaniel Sopiak (2006). Surviving to remember and honor her perfection as a mother and grandmother are her daughters, Margaret (Daniel) Brown of Newfane, Maryanne (J. Timothy) Sopiak of Burt, and daughter-in-law Judy Johns of Woodlawn, TN. Ten grandchildren who learned early in life to never tell grandma you're bored, that you think you have problems, or learning to appreciate the generational evolution of the annual pantry cleanout...Daniel (Karen) Brown, April (Craig) Williams (TN), Carrie Brown, Janna (Denny) Pellet (TN), John Brown, Maren Robinson, Bradley (Holly) Sopiak (SC), CJ (Amber) Johns III (TN), Sarah (Bobby) Darnell (TN) and Jared Sopiak. Grandma was direct but supportive and always was their biggest cheerleader. Also survived by 17 great grandchildren (ages 22-4) each that she wanted to keep up with but could not keep up with how many there were! A memorial service will be held at a later date. Her wishes were that her ashes and those of her beloved husband be joined and travel for eternity wherever the wind takes them. Memorials may be made to Pancreatic Cancer Research, c/o Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263. In Shirley's memory, the family asks that you ALWAYS take the time to be kind and listen. More importantly, never miss an opportunity to say I Love You. In closing, she would tell us that “this getting old ain’t for wimps”. She grew old with grace and in the words of one of her dear friends, “lickety shitz and away we go”.