Shirley Caldwell Casey

Shirley Caldwell Casey, born July 23, 1970 in Houston, Texas, suffered cardiac arrest  and died on September 15, 2015 at University Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The daughter of Joyce R. and C. Lee Caldwell, her home was in Houston, Provo to Sandy to Bountiful in Utah and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before returning to Bountiful in 2012.  

Shirley came into this life full of excitement, joy and wonder. She was practically born with laugh lines. As the youngest of four children, she relished being the center of attention and making others joyful. She was bigger than life and found excitement in the most mundane things. Shirley kept that childlike quality to the end of her life.

Everywhere Shirley went she made friends and every person she met was her friend. Whether as a child in the neighborhood or on vacation at a campground, or as an adult at the grocery store or doctor's office, she knew everyone and everyone knew her. These were not casual acquaintances to Shirley. She got to know about others' lives, included them in her prayers and looked for ways to help make their lives better. She was quick to uplift and brought laughter and a smile everywhere she went.

Though her life took her in difficult directions, she chose to use those experiences to help others going through similar situations. She would drop everything to help someone in need, and hated when she had nothing to give another. Her faith was strong and she held onto that for strength. The Serenity prayer was her mantra, and God her closest friend. She lived the prayer, "If we haven't the will to do this, we ask until it comes."

Preceding her in death was her mother Joyce R. Caldwell, husband Richard J. Casey, step-mother Sue Ford Caldwell, and step-sister Melanie G. Burrow.  She is survived by her son Thomas Skager Alexander (Minnesota), daughters Lyric Curtis Coomer (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Angelica Joyce Casey (Austin, Texas) as well as step-sons Adrian Casey (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and Evan Casey (Bountiful, Utah), sister Janet Caldwell Brown (Bountiful, Utah) and brothers Conrad R. Caldwell (Layton, Utah) and David R. Caldwell (Austin, Texas), step-sisters Diana G. Nitsch (Hallettsville, Texas), Karen G. Leonhardt (Shelby, Ohio), Vicki M. Bishop (Gilbert, Arizona), step-brothers L. Kyle Gajewsky (Houston, Texas) and Kenneth L. Gajewsky (Lindon, Utah).

Graveside services and burial will be at the Bountiful City Memorial Park (2224 South 200 West) on September 25, 2015 under the direction of Russon Brothers Mortuary of Bountiful (295 North Main, Bountiful, Utah 84010).