Shelley Rasmussen

Shelley R. Rasmussen, age 65, passed away unexpectedly at her home on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, from complications of Type 1 Diabetes. Shelley was a bright light to all who knew her and was taken from this earth far too soon.

The second of four children, Shelley was born to William and Phyllis Blackwell on February 12, 1959, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where she would live the rest of her life.

Shelley is survived by her son, Jack (Kara) Rasmussen; daughter, Jody (Seth) Hahnke; grandchildren, Leyna Herzog, Adeline, Margaret, and Samuel Hahnke and Logan, Ava, and Annie Rasmussen; mother, Phyllis Blackwell; siblings Linda Tedlie, Wendy (Jeff) Lueck, and Kim Blackwell; and several nieces and nephews.

Shelley was preceded in death by her father, William Blackwell.

Shelley graduated from Oshkosh North High School in 1977. She went right into the workforce at Kimberly Clark, where she would work for the rest of her impressive career. While Shelley's first position was in the mailroom, she eventually worked her way up to a position in research and product development, and her name can be found on multiple patents. After 36 years, Shelley retired to spend more time with her family and friends.

She lived in one city and worked at one job her entire life, but she saw the world through business travel and family ski and beach vacations. Most recently, she enjoyed visits with her granddaughters off at college, getaways at Linda's cabin up north in Wisconsin, adventures to Ireland and the Netherlands, and a girls' trip to Gulf Shores just a month ago.

Shelley was incredibly talented and excelled at pretty much anything she tried to do throughout her life. In high school she was an excellent volleyball player and continued to play in church softball and volleyball leagues for many years as an adult. Her golf league foursome will surely miss her shots in best ball, and she once rolled a perfect game in bowling. Shelley was a lifelong member at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Oshkosh and sang in the church choir for years, often singing duets with her dear sister, Linda. Shelley's athletic and musical talents live on in her children and grandchildren, who love to sing and play multiple instruments and who excel in track, baseball and volleyball. If you were playing any game, you definitely wanted Shelley on your team both for her fun personality and the fact you were most likely going to win. Yet through it all she was the most humble and unassuming person in the game.

Shelley was also well-known for her vibrant, snappy outfits. She was always sporting fun jewelry, the perfect shoes, and a new bag to match. Her closet was full of color and radiated joy, enthusiasm, spunk, and a little bit of sass. And the clothes matched her personality, as anyone who knew Shelley would tell you.

Shelley's most treasured moments were when she got to spend time with family, most notably with her three sisters, two children, and seven grandchildren. Mammy, as her grandchildren affectionately called her, was at every game, recital, meet, performance, tournament, speech, concert, and ceremony. It didn't matter if her grandchild's concert or tournament was several states away-her big, bright eyes and her proud, beaming smile were always there in the seats. Shelley was, and always will be, their #1 fan.

Shelley was very proud of the academic achievements of her children and grandchildren, and she generously supported their education over the years. Her last day with her family was spent celebrating the high school graduation of her granddaughter, Margaret, and she had recently attended a college band concert of her grandson, Logan.

Shelley's smile, generosity, kindness, and love will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to know her. She made the world a nicer place to be.

A special thank you to Shelley's sisters, Wendy and Linda. Wendy was Shelley's go-to date for pizza and a beer, and they enjoyed many afternoons filled with laughter over the years. Linda was Shelley's best friend since the day she was born and her biggest supporter during her life. Linda has been a rock for the family over the last few days. Thank you both for your love, support and guidance.

A gathering for friends and family will be held on June 23rd from 1pm-5pm at Shelter #5 at Winnebago County Community Park in Oshkosh, to celebrate Shelley's life and her important place in all of ours. A brief commemoration will begin at 1:30pm. Bring your best Shelley stories and wear your most colorful outfit!