William Dale Shirk
William Dale Shirk passed peacefully Oct. 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones at Amelia Grace Assisted Living in Chester Township.
Born in East Cleveland on April 30, 1944, to Donovan and Elizabeth Shirk, he spent his life in the Northeast Ohio area.
Bill started working for the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company as a meter reader at the age of 18 and for over 40 years worked his way up to manager by the time of his retirement in 1998.
He was an avid reader of nonfiction, an innovative gardener and an artist of the most resourceful kind, using whatever materials were at hand to fulfil his creative visions. He and his wife, Mary, loved to travel, visiting Ireland many times and spending a month in China to learn the healing art of Qi Gong.
Bill was an astonishing man. The way he held himself with such care and purpose, inspired the world with every step he took. He was a cheerful man with the trace of a grin always on his face as he lit up even the darkest corners of a room. He was a clever man, there when you needed him, fixing even the smallest of aches. He was creative, telling his famous Pa Bill stories that forged who you were; he drew your character like lathering paint on canvases that held each of his great ideas.
He sculpted what came to mind, capturing the essence of life and embodying art itself. Using onomatopoeia to color his tales, he made you laugh when you didn’t know you needed it. His words were refreshing, his actions even more so. When you think of Bill, you think of a strong man with a gentle soul.
Bill is predeceased by his son David; his brother, Donald; and his parents.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Brennan; his daughter, Kelly Haney; his son Michael (Lynn) Shirk; his stepdaughter, Mara (Greg) Smith; and stepdaughter, Amy (Chad) Arnold; 15 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
The family asks for donations to be made in Bill’s name to The Hospice of the Western Reserve, 17876 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44110, www.hospicewr.org; or Amelia Grace Assisted Living, 7090 Wilson Mills Road, Chesterland, OH 44026.
A Memorial Gathering will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, from 5-7 p.m., at Burr Funeral Home, 116 South St., Chardon, Ohio.
Arrangements are entrusted to Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.burrservice.com.
