Ocala – Cora Pauline Shelley, 96, beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, passed away peacefully at Estelle’s House on Thursday, May 24, 2018, surrounded by her loving family. Born January 30, 1922, in Sandusky, NY to Robert Griffith and Ruth (Lewis) Pugh, she was the youngest of three daughters and raised by her two older sisters after her mother passed away when Pauline was 13 years old. She graduated from Arcade High School, Arcade, NY.
A native of upstate NY, she moved to Vero Beach, FL, in 1969 from Cuba, NY, during the wave of growth spawned by the space industry. She worked at the Motorola factory while in Arcade, NY, and later worked for Piper Aircraft in Vero as an electronics assembler. After retiring in 1990, Pauline and husband Bob moved to Lee, FL, where they enjoyed a number of years traveling around the country in their motorhome, weekends at the Suwannee River enjoying the music festivals, and trips to upstate NY to visit family.
Pauline was devoted to her Methodist faith. An avid book reader, she was artistic and enjoyed many hobbies. In the early 70’s she took painting lessons influenced by Florida Highwayman, artists mostly from Ft.
Pierce. Her acrylic and oil Florida landscape paintings adorned her home. She collected stamps and 1st day covers for many years, then after mining rubies in Franklin, NC, her love of rocks grew from “rockhounding” to teaching herself to facet beautiful gems, crafting jewelry pieces, and silversmithing.
She was adept with computers beginning with a Commodore 64 and up to this past month, she enjoyed perusing the family genealogy she compiled even before ancestry.com and keeping up with her kids/grandkids/friends on Facebook. Pauline loved traveling and visited nearly every state as well as Canada, Barbados, and her ancestral home in Wales and England. In recent years, he made many trips with Bob to Biloxi to play the slots and enjoy the buffets.
She especially loved spending time with family and all her grandchildren, particularly the holidays of Christmas, Thanksgiving and every Easter, the annual Milgate family egg hunt and bunny appearance in Crawfordville. Preceded in death by her former husband, Cortland Robert Milgate; sisters, Miriam and Thelma; son-in-law, Pat Chik; and sadly her only son, Gary Robert Milgate, who passed away the day after she was last admitted to the hospital in April. Pauline is survived by her husband of 52 years, Robert Franklin Shelley; daughters, Sharon (Ronald) Hoban, Sun City, FL; Linda Chik, Ocala; Cindy (Mark) Knoblauch, Havana, FL; Robin Shelley (Jim) Byrne, Salt Springs; stepson, Stephan Shelley, CA ; 15 grandchildren: Kelly (Ricco), Timothy, Tammy (Hollywood), Vicky, Liz (Blake), Michael (Angelee), Angela, Jeffrey, Ian (Lesha), Sarah (Brad), Emily, Jacob, Jimmy (Stephanie), Laurel (John), Kelsey (Steele); 22 great-grands, Austin, Tiffany, Kyle, Crystal, Raquel, Daniel, Joshua, Dylan, Gavin, Sebastian, Hailey, Bailey, Cora, Ryland, Auden, Aidan, Charlotte, Elliot, Emily, Emmett, Everett, Aubrey (and two more on the way); and 6 great-great grandchildren; Chase, Paige, Morgan, Violet, Meadow, and Cheyenne.
Funeral Service will be held at Noon, Saturday, June 2, 2018, at Countryside Funeral Home, Anthony, FL. Private Interment will follow in Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell. Our entire family wishes to express our deepest appreciation to all of the loving staff of Estelle’s House, Hospice of Marion County, for their compassion and tender care of our precious Mother.
Mom, you will be so dearly missed and forever in our hearts.
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