Shirley Schalk Obituary

Shirley A. Schalk

Shirley A. Schalk, 89, of New Riegel, passed away Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Hospice of the Western Reserve, Westlake, Ohio, after spending the previous days surrounded by her loved ones. She was born January 30, 1936, in Norwalk, Ohio, to Clayton and Martha Janet (Baker) Leber of Monroeville, Ohio. She was born at Norwalk Hospital and was the first in her family to be born in a hospital. She met Arthur Louis Schalk at the Silver Ballroom in Bellevue, Ohio. She then married Art October 1, 1960, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Monroeville, after a courtship that spanned the course of his Marine Corps tenure. Art preceded Shirley in death in 2019. They were married for 58 years.

Survivors include her loving children, Patty (Tod) Smith of Jacksonville, Florida, Cathy (Jerome) Supina of Sandusky, John Schalk of Fostoria and Tammy (Brant) Holtzmeier of Avon; grandchildren, Jeremy Hawkins, Carsen (Will Braithwaite) Smith, Jacob (Abigail) Supina, Evan Holtzmeier, Nathan Holtzmeier and Quinn Holtzmeier. She is also survived by sisters-in-law, Rose Smith of Tiffin and Anne Schalk of Findlay; as well as 77 nieces and nephews and scores of great-nieces and nephews. Shirley was pleased to learn that she was to become a first-time great-grandmother to twins expected in January from Jacob and Abigail.

Shirley was the last of her generation. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband and a grandson, Colton Smith; in-laws Alphons G. and Catherine S. (Reinhart) Schalk; siblings, Karl (Delores Neely) Leber, Alice Heinz, Helen Privett, Dorothy Leber, Junior Leber and Robert (Katie) Leber; brothers and sisters-in-law, Rita (Vince) Wurm, Irene (Louis) Elchert, Marie (Jim) Scherger, George (June) Schalk, Simon (Martha Rose) Schalk, Florus (Viola) Schalk, Gervase (Bill) Craig, Alice (Delbert) Nye, Bruno Schalk, Joe Smith and Ray Schalk.

She was a 1956 graduate of Monroeville High School and was quite an accomplished accordion player who even cut an accordion record. She worked at Durable Mat and Fannie Farmer before marrying. As a parent, Shirley was a very active room mother and school volunteer at St. Joseph Catholic and Hopewell-Loudon schools. Additionally, she was a census taker and delivered newspapers for The Advertiser-Tribune.

Shirley was a parishioner of All Saints Parish, New Riegel. She never met a stranger she didn't like and was always very social in spirit. She was the faithful genealogical keeper and official scribe of the Schalk and Reinhart family births, deaths and marriages. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Shirley spent her life embracing time with family and creating a lifetime of memories to go with it.

Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Friday, September 5, 2025, at TRAUNERO FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORY, 214 S. Monroe Street, Tiffin, Ohio 44883 (419) 447-3113.

The Rosary will be recited at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 6, 2025, at All Saints Parish, New Riegel. Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Timothy Kummerer officiating. Burial will take place immediately following at St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery, New Riegel.

Contributions may be made to All Saints Church, New Riegel, to Monroeville Public Library for new children's books in memory of Shirley, or Humane Society of Seneca County.

To send online condolences to the family, order out-of-town flowers, or to view the Celebration of Life video, go to www.traunerofuneralhome.com.