Shirley Roselli

Shirley Roselli, 90, passed away peacefully July 19, 2021 at her home in Raytown, MO.

Shirley loved books, flowers, traveling and angels, but her biggest love was for her family. Her love for books started at a young age. She was the 1st KCMO Public School student enrolled in their work/study program in 1943. She went to school half a day and worked at the KCMO Public Library half a day. She was the Librarian at Spring Valley Elementary in Raytown from 1969 until she retired in 1989.

Shirley could spend hours in any garden admiring all the flowers, bushes, and trees. She was proud of all the flower beds in her yard and enjoyed sharing her flower bulbs with family and friends.

Shirley’s love for traveling started when she married her beloved husband Jimmie. They visited 48 of the 50 states and many countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. They visited England 10 times, Ireland 11 times and Spain 17 times.

Shirley had a collection of over 350 angels many of them added during all of her travels.

Shirley was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 66 years, Jimmie.

Shirley is survived by 2 children: Mark Roselli (Becky) of Rolla, MO and Marsha Roselli (Sheri) of Grain Valley, MO; 2 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be planned for a later date.

Condolences

  1. Jerry Carlson on July 23, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    Your mom sounds like a wonderful lady. My sympathies are with you & your family during this time. You are in my prayers for healing.



  2. Sharon Beach on July 26, 2021 at 4:06 pm

    Marsha, now I know where you get your love of traveling!
    Our condolences to you and your family. May the memories of your beautiful mother sustain you during your time of grief.
    Love ya,
    Sharon & Gary Beach



  3. Julie Hottle Broockerd on August 3, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    Mrs. Roselli was my librarian at Spring Valley elementary. Everyone loved her. She would bring the books to life when she read to us. I became an avid reader because of Mrs Roselli. She always had the coolest bookmarks that we could get, especially at Christmas. She would cut old Christmas cards into bookmarks. I can still hear her reading “Strega Nona” to my classmates and I, all wide eyed and mesmerized. Thank you for sharing your love of books. As a Pre-K teacher one of my favorite things is reading aloud to my students. What a legacy you have left! Thank you!



  4. Lisa Hottle Mann on August 3, 2021 at 8:47 pm

    As a student at Spring Valley Elementary and an avid reader, I was a frequent visitor of the library and then became a library helper, working closely with Mrs. Roselli. She always asked me if I was enjoying my current novel, and had many great book recommendations, which helped me branch out to new genres. She had a tremendous impact on me in my elementary years with her caring demeanor and warm laughter. I still love reading and am now teaching reading to students with special needs.



  5. Kalleen (Tracy) Halvorsen on August 4, 2021 at 10:52 am

    I remember Mrs Roselli as the librarian at Spring Valley elementary school. She invited my family over to her house, when I was attending Spring Valley, after a trip that she and her husband had taken to Hawaii and shared their photos with us via a slideshow and then served banana splits afterwards. I thought that was the nicest thing and it still is a sweet memory for me to this day.



  6. Tim Wessley on August 4, 2021 at 11:43 am

    I went to Spring Valley 1969- 1976 (K – 6). Mrs Roselli was everyone’s favorite. I remember her dress made out of book jackets. She was a great lady.



  7. Anna Adams on August 16, 2021 at 4:11 pm

    I attended Spring Valley Elementary in the mid 80’s and fondly recall Mrs. Roselli and also Mr. Roselli, our custodian. At the beginning of every school year, Mrs. Roselli would show us slides of her and Mr. Roselli’s summer trip. The slide shows were fun and educational. Mrs. Roselli told us that her and Mr. Roselli weren’t rich, but that they were able to take summer trips because they saved money every week – the same amount of money as if they smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. She explained to us the financial cost of smoking and showed us a wonderful alternative – saving money for something that enriched life.
    Over the years, I have often wondered how many students Mrs. Roselli influenced with her annual slide shows. They made a big impact on me – I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. I also love traveling and exploring new places. Bless Mrs. Roselli and Mr. Roselli. I’m so grateful that they were a part of my childhood.



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