Obituary
Shirley McCormick Obituary
Shirley Ann (Swinson) McCormick, age 89, died peacefully at home in Punta Gorda, Florida, after a lengthy illness, on December 16th, 2021. Shirley is survived by her daughter, Liisa McCormick (Fernando Gonzalez) of New York City, and her son, Jonathan McCormick (Beth), of Punta Gorda, Florida. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Patrick “Pat” McCormick, and by her one brother, Robert.
Shirley was born on May 4th, 1932, in Ewen, Michigan, to parents Gertrude Otilia (Tyyska) Swinson and Harold Aaron Swinson. Her birth was attended by a midwife in her grandfather’s small farmhouse. She grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and earned a B.S. degree from the University of Michigan Pharmacy School in 1954 (graduating first in her class) and then continued for a M.S. degree. During her time in Ann Arbor she met and married Pat.
For twelve years she worked part time as a pharmacist while she and Pat raised their two children, and then in 1968 she entered medical school at the University of Michigan. She graduated in 1972 as a Regents Scholar, completing her internship at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, and then her residency at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Flint, Michigan. She worked as a general practice physician in Chelsea, Michigan and in Fenton, Michigan, and was also an instructor at the University of Michigan Family Practice Center. After retirement she traveled the world with her beloved husband; they had been married for sixty three years when he passed away in 2019.
For most of her adult life, Shirley was a member of the Lutheran Church. Up until her last few years, she would sing hymns with a sweet soprano voice. One of her favorites was “Children of the Heavenly Father” (written by Caroline Sandell; translated to English by Ernst Olson), which includes these words: “Neither life nor death shall ever, from the Lord His children sever; unto them His grace He showeth, and their sorrows all He knoweth”.
Shirley will be greatly missed by her friends, her two children, and her six grandchildren: Nadxielli Gonzalez, Leon Gonzalez, Antonio Gonzalez, Martin McCormick (Yuezhen Niu), Andrew McCormick, and Thomas McCormick. She is also survived by one first cousin, Roger Tyyska (Sharon) of Goodrich, Michigan.
A celebration of Shirley’s life and burial service will be held in early May, 2022, in Almont, Michigan. All are welcome to attend, with coordination through the Muir Brothers’ Funeral Home in Almont.
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