A Gentle Soul, Remembered Forever

Shirley was born on February 6th, 1941 to Ruby and Colin Steinwall in
Colombo, Sri Lanka. The youngest of three boys, he attended Saint Joseph’s
College and enjoyed playing cricket, rugby and field hockey in his youth.

In Sri Lanka, Shirley started his career with the shipping company, Harrisons &
Crossfield. In 1964, he met the love of his life, Philomena and they were
married on March 27th, 1967. Their daughter Sharon Michele was born in
1968, followed by their son Warren Mario in 1973. After two years working in
the Middle East, Shirley missed being so far away from his family and returned
to Sri Lanka to work for Asha Shipping Limited.

In 1993, Shirley, Philo & Mario joined Michele and her husband Veranja in
Toronto, Canada to reunite the family and start a new life. Philo & Shirley
managed a Public Storage facility until their retirement. Always a dedicated
family man, Shirley’s greatest joy came from the valuable time he spent with
his four grandchildren: Nuwan, Deon, Maya and Raina. He was always a kid at
heart and that endeared their “Papa” to them. Although Philo did all the
cooking, Shirley loved to make his famous pancakes for his grandkids. They
have all inherited his love of music. At any party, you would always find Shirley
dancing with arms and legs swinging in every direction when dancing the jive.

Over the last 15 years, Shirley struggled with the slow decline brought on from
dementia. Although some of his cognitive abilities were challenged, his face
always lit up when he saw his loved ones, especially when he knew anyone had
brought him treats - he always had a sweet tooth.

Despite the difficulties of his last two weeks, Shirley was blessed to have
passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family. May his soul rest
in peace for all eternity.

May His love and light guide us in our own lives.