Shirley Elizabeth Reinert

Shirley Elizabeth Reinert, 86, of Athens, died on Saturday, September 10, 2022.

Born in Chicago to Einar Larson and Ellen Gunnarson Larson, Shirley attended South Shore High School and graduated from DePaul University, where she was vice-president of Phi Gamma Nu sorority. After college she married her high school sweetheart, and they moved to Ann Arbor, MI where their two children were born. The family moved to Athens in 1975. Shirley was a stay-at-home super mom and enjoyed many sports, outdoor activities, and volunteering while her children were growing up. She was secretary at the Georgia Museum of Art and held several positions at the University of Georgia. She also enjoyed traveling and traveled for many years with the Highland Theater Group. She was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Athens.

Along with her parents, Shirley was preceded in death by her older sister, Ellen Gannuscio.

Shirley is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Dr. Robert E. Reinert; their two children, Dr. Thomas Reinert (Libby) of Jupiter, FL and Jennifer Morris (Kem) of Comer; two grandchildren, Hayden Morris and Hailey Morris; and numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 12 at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Shirley’s memory to the Athens Area Humane Society, 1030 Mitchell Bridge Road, Athens, GA 30606 or at athenshumanesociety.org ; Friends of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, 2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens, GA 30605 or at botgarden.uga.edu ; or the American Lung Association, PO Box 756, Osceola, WI, 54020-0756, or at lung.org .

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, EAST, Athens, GA, is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com