Obituary of Marsha Shields

Marsha (nee Wright), beloved wife of John Shields, devoted mother of Larry Shields, and dear sister of the late Marty Wright and Marshall Wright. Passed away in her home, in the arms of her husband and with her son, on Friday, April 22nd at the age of 69. Marsha grew up in Rising Sun, IN. She had a hard life and made sure her own family wouldn’t be like hers. She put herself through school at The University of Cincinnati, then Xavier before finishing her bachelors degree UC while not only working, but pregnant. Graduation and the arrival of Larry came on the same day. Labor and delivery beat out commencement. She worked at U.S. Industrial Chemicals, started her own massage therapy business, and even turned her passion for cars into a successful career as a saleswoman at Century Volkswagen. But, it was at Procter and Gamble where she met the love of her life, husband of 33 years, John. Marsha was an amazing cook, refusing to follow recipes, constantly worried about cross-contamination. She was a self-proclaimed excellent driver who enjoyed a manual gearbox and expressed herself on the road with her “driving language” and signature “gestures”. They sometimes got her into trouble. Marsha always put her family first, leaving the workforce to care for her son, and of course, her husband. Marsha loved her home: from grilling on the deck, hacking out honeysuckle in the “wild area”, and even taking to birding as her illness took hold. She never let the terminal diagnosis of Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis stand in her way, even fighting a winning a battle with breast cancer. Her family and friends will gather on Wednesday, April 27th from 5:30-7:30PM at Thomas-Justin Memorial, 7500 Montgomery Rd. (45236) Kenwood to honor the woman they knew as their wife and Mommy. If desired, the family asks that donations be directed in lieu of flowers to The American Lung Association, 4050 Executive Park Drive #402, Cincinnati, OH (45241).