REBEKAH PARHAM SHELLEY's Obituary
SHELLEY, Rebekah Parham, daughter of Daisy Marie Rossignol Parham and Virgil Swanson Parham, born August 29, 1920 in Atlanta Georgia, passed away peacefully surrounded by her children and grandchildren just days before her 93rd birthday. Becky, as she liked to be called, was a long time member of Coral Reef Yacht Club dating back into the 1960’s. She is a graduate of Miami High School in 1937 and the University of Miami 1941. While at Miami she was a charter member of the Delta Kappa Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity. She was married in 1942 to Lt.Col. Robert J. Shelley Jr., a Marine Corps Aviator who served in both World War II and Korea, and predeceased her in 1999. Becky has three children, Rebekah Shelley Magruder Griffard (Bernard), of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Robert J. Shelley III (Susan) of Miami, Florida, and Katherine Shelley Blomqvist (Erik) of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and six Grandchildren Douglas G. Magruder (Sonia), Christine M. Griffard, Jennifer S. Robinson (Michael) Robert J. Shelley IV, Erik Jonas Blomqvist (Megan), Jonathan R. Blomqvist(April) and 11 Great Grandchildren. Becky was an early volunteer in the 1950’s for the Miami Museum of Science and a member of the Coral Gables Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader as well as a Cub Scout Den Mother and served many times as an elementary school Room Mother. She will always be remembered as a loving Mother, Grand Mother, and Great Grand Mother who embraced life to the fullest and always loved a good party for any occasion. She loved to be surrounded by family and enjoyed the role of family matriarch. She taught us all the benefits of maintaining a positive mental attitude and to respect all people regardless of political, religious, or social persuasion. She was a loving person in every aspect and we will endeavor to follow in her footsteps. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to: Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, 530 East Town Street, Columbus, Ohio, marked for Rebekah Parham Shelley Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Delta Kappa Chapter at the University of Miami, or the charity of your choice. Visitation will be held at Van Orsdel Funeral Chapel 11220 N. Kendall Drive on Tuesday, August 27, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm with a funeral Mass at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, 5690 N. Kendall Drive, on Wednesday, August 28, at 10:30 am followed by interment at Woodlawn Cemetery North, 3260 SW 8th Street.
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