Obituary of Shelley Ruth Myer

Shelley Ruth Myer
October 4, 1973 - May 5, 2025

Shelley Ruth Myer, daughter of Janice Ruth Myer and James Richard Myer, was born in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley in the fall of 1973 – a place almost as beautiful as she was. Shelley grew up riding a bike with ape-hangers and a banana seat, hurrying across suspension bridges (she was never a fan of heights!), and playing forward on her middle school basketball team, the Hot Shots. When she was 10, her worst fear came true: the family car stalled and was briefly stranded on the Ambassador Bridge. Soon after, Shelley found herself living in Windsor, Ontario, before her family moved once more – this time to the big city of Toronto (well, Scarborough, actually!).

After being crowned Miss Winter Fest and graduating from Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute, Shelley earned her undergraduate degree from Toronto Metropolitan University, and her Master’s in Social Work from King’s University at the University of Western Ontario. Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) is where she first met Michal Pachucki. Michal was a business student, and over a game of pool, they discovered they had a lot in common – including the fact that they had grown up on the same street in Scarborough. They were married in the fall of 1997, and together they built a life full of love and laughter, raising two extraordinary daughters, Laila Shay and Lucy Pearl.  A few years later, Shelley attended Laurier University, where she pursued her PhD.

Shelley loved Mike deeply and delighted in watching her daughters do gymnastics, dance, play softball, and ringette. She adored painting their bedroom walls with wild colors and cherished every nail appointment, hair highlight, and prom dress fitting. She enjoyed movies, yoga, beach walks, traveling, and poetry. Throughout her life, she joyfully poured herself into the people and things she loved: her family and friends, her career as a social worker, and her role as the “hostess with the mostest,” turning every house into a home and every stranger into a friend. Shelley was endlessly kind and generous, always placing the needs of others above her own.

After the death of her mother, Shelley’s grief became a constant companion, and at times threatened to overtake her. But through it all, the struggles and the triumphs, she was a person of marvelous gifts: intelligent, tender, determined, sometimes fiery, often hilarious, and always fiercely loving. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she will be deeply missed. She is survived by Laila, Lucy, Mike, Rick, her sister, Liz, and her friend Billy Earle.

A Celebration of Life will be held later this summer – a chance to gather and cheer her on as she crosses her final bridge. Details will be shared once they are confirmed.