Shirley Ann Hermsen, 79, of LaPorte, died Monday, Jan. 2, 2017.
She was born April 19, 1937, in Waukon, Iowa, to William J. and Cornelia (Ryan) Hancock.
Shirley was employed by the LaPorte YMCA for 37 years, much of that time as Executive Director or Associate Executive Director and in semi-retirement as Development Director and Director of the Horizon Endowment. She developed the first Child Care Resource and Referral Service in LaPorte County and was a past chairperson of the LaPorte County Educare Committee and a member of several state and local YMCA and Child Care committees.
Shirley was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church and the Madonna Circle, a former religious education instructor, Eucharistic minister and founder of an ecumenical teacher training program in Wausau, WI. Shirley wrote many successful state, federal and corporate foundation grant requests on behalf of child care at the YMCA. She was a member of LaPorte Kiwanis Club and chairperson of Kiwanis Children Priority OneOne Committee. She was a past board member of Habitat for Humanity and LaPorte Park Foundation, a 2000 Chamber of Commerce Athena Award recipient for her work in the LaPorte community, and a current Trustee Emeritus for the LaPorte County YMCA. Later in life she became very involved in genealogy, working with her brother, William Hancock, and brother-in-law, Charles Byrnes, to trace her family roots to 1722 in Virginia and their Irish roots back to their families in Ireland.
On Nov. 29, 1958, in Waukon, Iowa, she married Jude E. Hermsen, who survives.
Shirley leaves loving memories to be cherished by her husband, Jude; two daughters, Paula (Thomas) Lanoue of Blaine, MN, and Linda (David) Mahoney of Austin, TX; three sons, Gregory (Nancy) Hermsen of The Woodlands, TX, Bradley (Nanette Tillinghast) Hermsen of Grayslake, IL, and Christopher Hermsen of LaPorte; eight grandchildren, Michael and Nicholas Lanoue, Jessica and Joshua Hermsen, Matthew and Claire Mahoney, and Bryce and Bennitt Hermsen; four sisters, Elizabeth Ryan, D. Ann (Charles) Byrnes, Jeanne (Gary) Gilbertson and Mary (Kevin) Plotz; three brothers, William (Carol) Hancock, John (Lila) Hancock and James (Linda) Howes; sisters-in-law, Gretchen Hermsen Kamps and La Verne Hermsen; brothers-in-law, James Webers and Richard Kamps; 35 nieces and nephews; and two aunts, Eleanor Larkin Ryan and Alice Ryan O’Neill Tayke.
She was preceded in death by Rev. Ralph Hermsen, Rachel Hermsen Webers and Jerome Hermsen.
Visitation will be Friday, Jan. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Frank L. Keszei Funeral Home, Essling Chapel, LaPorte, where a Parish Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, at St. Peter Catholic Church, LaPorte, with Rev. Ian Williams officiating. Burial will take place at a later date in Waukon, Iowa.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be made to LaPorte County YMCA, 901 Michigan Ave., LaPorte, IN 46350; or to the donor’s choice.
Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP as well as at www.esslingfuneralhome.com.