Obituary of Shelley Jane Strachan
Shelley Jane (Ridgeway) Strachan
April 14, 1942 - August 31, 2025
Shelley passed away peacefully with family by her side at the Perth Community Care Centre on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025 in her 84th year. She was predeceased in 2022 by her beloved husband John. Loved mother of Stephanie (Ian Gray) and Douglas (Krista Gemmill), and Nan to Sam, Isobel, Ainsley and Logan. Predeceased by her parents Lola (Goodridge) Ridgeway and George Ridgeway, and by sister Audrey in childhood. Sister-in-law to Mary Lynn (Alex Mathieson), and predeceased by Tom (Pauline) and Frances (Bill Carmody) In her youth, Shelley was renowned for her athleticism, burning up the track at PDCI and bringing home trophies in basketball and volleyball. After high school she trained in nursing at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, and began her career as a Registered Nursing Assistant at the Great War Memorial Hospital in Perth. Although she shifted her focus to raising her family, her passion for nursing remained and she continued to be a caregiver in various ways for her entire life. Shelley was known for her wicked sense of humour, cracking jokes to lighten even the most dire situations. She may have also orchestrated some pranks with nursing colleagues and friends over the years. Shelley cultivated beautiful gardens at the family home and enjoyed creative writing, sharing many funny and interesting tales from her life with the Perth Writers' Circle. Her love for animals was evident with the menagerie of pets over the years, not to mention occasionally caring for injured or lost wild creatures. Many thanks to the staff at Perth Community Care Centre for the excellent care and abundant kindness they provided to Shelley and family during her time there. Shelley's humour, kindness and resilience will never be forgotten. Friends may pay their respects at the Blair & Son Funeral Home, 15 Gore St. West, Perth, on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. A funeral service will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel. Interment at Elmwood Cemetery at a later date. In remembrance, contributions to the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.
"Shelley’s humour, kindness and resilience will never be forgotten"
