Michele (Shelly) M. Simonin died at a Sacramento convalescent home on Jan. 4, 2006 at the age of 55. She had been admitted to the facility in 2004 after suffering a series of strokes during surgery at Stanford University Hospital.

Shelly left two children, Jared Johnson age 20, and Jenai Johnson, age 19, both of Chico. Shelly was very proud of her children and they were a great source of joy to her. Shelly loved to take her kids to Patrick's Point, and Agate Beach even as babies. She loved to surf at Newport and to ski and take pictures at the snow park in Salt Lake City. She loved her kids more than anything and would spoil them rotten. She loved listening to music such as Pink Floyd, Annie Lennox and Sting. Shelly found great joy in all aspects of her life. She was gregarious, inquisitive, energetic, had a great laugh and a big heart. She was always ready to help anyone in need. 

Shelly worked as a legal secretary at the Chico office of Legal Services of Northern California for five years before her illness. She worked closely with Passages Adult Resource Center coordinating direct legal services for senior clients through Legal Services' Senior Law Advocacy Program. She was also a particularly strong advocate for custodial parents seeking child support, as she had gained much knowledge and expertise from her years working with the District Attorney Family Support Divisions at both Butte and Shasta counties in the 90's. She received a Director's Award for Achievement at the Butte County District Attorney's Office. 

She was a member of a statewide committee of the California Family Support Council; a youth advisor for YMCA; a Little League baseball manager in Redding; and a volunteer in Probation's "Big Sister" program while attending San Diego State University. She formed a tenants rights advocacy group while in Chico and was a Federal/State certified trainer in Family Support from OCSE in Washington, DC. 

In addition to her children, Shelly was survived by her children's father and stepmother, Dennis and Kathie Johnson; her half-sister, Kathleen Simonin; family childhood friends, Kathy Simpson and Colleen Conley (and families) of Los Angeles, California; aunt, Esther Zuleger and cousins from Medford, Wisc.; her best friend, Shelly Nelson of Redding, Calif.; and the many friends she made as co-workers. 

Published in Chico Enterprise-Record on Jan. 12, 2006

If you have any memories for Shelly, please leave a comment below.