Shirley L. Roti Roti

Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at 11 am on Saturday, August 14, 2021, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 509 W. 4th St., Buchanan, MI. A graveside gathering will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Buchanan. Memorial contributions may be made to the Buchanan Art Center, 117 W. Front St., Buchanan, MI. Those wishing to leave a condolence online may do so at www.swemchapel.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Swem Chapel, Buchanan. Long time Buchanan, Michigan resident, Shirley Roti Roti, passed away in her home on Good Friday, April 10, 2020. She had been ill with complications related to heart disease since mid-January. She is survived by her six children; Joseph (Patricia) Roti Roti, Anne (Thomas) Saal, Mary (Doug Rogers) Roti Roti, Donna (Alan) Resetar, Elizabeth Pilley, Jon (Margie) Roti Roti; seven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, one step grandchild and three step great grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband, Donald Roti Roti; parents, August and Annabelle (Ashton) Lemmer; daughter-in-law, Stephanie Pagano, and son-in-law, Arthur Pilley. Shirley was born a premature baby in 1922, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, weighing only 3 pounds, 12 ounces. She was not expected to survive, since this was before there were incubators. Her aunt, who was a registered nurse, kept her alive and cared for her until her mother recovered. After that ordeal, there were no subsequent births in the family, so Shirley was raised as an only child. Her artistic interest and talent began as a child. Her first word was “pretty.” While in high school, she would walk across town to visit the Kalamazoo Institute of Art. She graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School and attended Western Michigan University as an art major, where she met Donald, her future husband. Shirley and Donald were married in 1942 in Providence, Rhode Island. They resided in Rhode Island while Donald, a Navy flyer, was stationed there. When he was transferred to Hawaii, she moved home to Kalamazoo, with her son Joseph, and resided with her parents until Donald was discharged. Her second child, Anne, was born there. In 1947, she and Donald moved to Shelby, Michigan, where Donald taught school, and Shirley gave birth to her third child, Mary. In 1950, they moved to Donald’s hometown of Buchanan. Their house on Chippewa Street was too small for the growing family, which now included two more children, Donna and Elizabeth. In 1955, the family moved to a large Victorian house on Front Street, where Shirley resided for the rest of her long life. The last of her children, Jon, was born after this final move. When circumstances required her family to have a second income, Shirley resumed classes at Western Michigan University and completed her undergraduate degree in 1966. After teaching freshman English for one year at Buchanan High School, she became the art teacher, a position she held over fifteen years. In 1970, she earned an MFA degree from the University of Notre Dame. Shirley was always very supportive of her students, whether they had artistic talent or not. Students without talent could still get a good grade by learning principles of design, color theory, art history and putting effort into the project at hand. Some of her students went on to pursue careers in art or related fields. One of her students recently wrote to her describing a successful career designing store displays. When his colleagues asked how he learned to do his displays so well, he credited her teaching. Her students were encouraged to participate in community projects, including designing a logo for the ambulance service and entering the Clark poster contest. After retiring in 1982, Shirley gave private lessons at her personal studio; and taught at Fernwood and the Buchanan Art Center, which she helped establish. Shirley was involved in many community affairs and organizations. For many years, she was active in the local chapter of the League of Women Voters. She belonged to the Buchanan Fine Arts Council, the Michigan Art League, the St. Joseph Watercolor Society, the Art Center of South Bend, Niles Art Association, Fernwood, the Buchanan College Club and the Buchanan Preservation Society. She was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church. Shirley loved to travel. She and Donald took advantage of their dispersed children to visit them in various parts of the county. As a high school chaperone and later as a member of the League of Women Voters, Shirley traveled to France, Italy, Greece, Russia and Mexico. Throughout all her years of childbearing, child rearing, homemaking, teaching, traveling and community service, Shirley studied and created art. As a young mother, she baked and sold her homemade bread to pay for art lessons. When the children were older, they sometimes went to classes with her. Later in life, her grandchildren enjoyed time with her in her art studio. Most recently, her great grandchildren carried on the tradition when visiting. When sat down to draw, they did the same, everyone creating art in a group drawing session. While Shirley studied and produced prints, pottery, woodcuts, and sculptures in metal and clay, her primary artistic expression was in painting and drawing. Watercolor was her favorite medium, but she created works in oil, acrylic, pastel, pen & ink, colored pencil and charcoal. She painted abstracts, landscapes, still lifes and portraits. Flowers were the inspiration for many still lifes. Historic buildings and local farmland around Buchanan provided inspiration for many landscapes. Her favorite subjects for portraits were her children and grandchildren. Her paintings were accepted and displayed in many juried exhibits in the area and won numerous prizes. In 2004, Berrien County Record correspondent Linda Canfield interviewed Shirley in her home. The subsequent article published in the Record, captured much of what Shirley was about: “Shirley enjoys talking about her family and their accomplishments much more than talking about herself. Her home is full of character and charm much like Shirley herself. Art is present everywhere, either by her, her children or grandchildren! . . . Wherever she has lived in her lifetime, there are drawings or paintings of that area and of that time of her life. . .. Shirley always keeps a sketch book nearby. They are filled with drawings and writings. . .. She appreciates living in Buchanan. She likes the nooks and crannies, the old buildings and especially McCoy Creek. . .. This remarkable woman is truly amazing.” One of the most amazing things about Shirley is that she always thought she had more to learn about creating art. Up until October 2019, she attended classes at the Buchanan Art Center. In her artist statement for an exhibit in 2010 she wrote, “As every child knows, making marks on paper is exciting. To learn about the marks is a long journey to experiment and explore. I feel just beginning to find a path.” Trying to capture someone as diverse, vibrant and long-lived as Shirley is a bit like the story of the blind men and the elephant. One perspective cannot capture all of her. The current health situation requires a small, private funeral at this time, but the family plans to have a community memorial celebration when the virus crisis has passed. At that time, we can capture other perspectives of her as a mother, grandmother, homemaker, student, teacher, activist, friend, neighbor and animal lover. As she told Linda Canfield in 2004, “If I am not drawing or creating, it is the same as not breathing.” We are all saddened that she has put down her drawing pencil and breathed her last.