A reception will follow next door in the Large Fellowship Hall.
Shirley Jean (Mueller) West, 88, of West Lafayette, passed away on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette. She was born January 28, 1937, in Saint Louis, MO, to the late Edward and Florence (Leffler) Mueller. Shirley grew up on the successful Mueller Brothers vegetable farm that provided fresh produce toContinue Reading
Shirley Jean (Mueller) West, 88, of West Lafayette, passed away on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette.
She was born January 28, 1937, in Saint Louis, MO, to the late Edward and Florence (Leffler) Mueller. Shirley grew up on the successful Mueller Brothers vegetable farm that provided fresh produce to large mid-western markets like Milwaukee and Chicago. In conjunction with the farming operation, Shirley and her cousin Arlene operated a popular vegetable stand every summer which grew their piggy banks and taught them how to run a little business. Growing up, she was surrounded by cousins and family and in her late teens she was honored as the Missouri State Vegetable Queen.
Shirley received her Associates of Arts degree from William Woods College in Missouri and went on to Washington University in St. Louis for another year where she met her future husband, Terry.
On August 10, 1957, Shirley married Terry Ronald West in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1961, Terry and Shirley moved to Lafayette, Indiana as Terry began a masters and then PhD program at Purdue. They welcomed two children into the world with the arrival of Jill (1961) and Matt (1964). Terry preceded Shirley in her death on March 4, 2025. They were married for 67 years.
Shirley was extremely active in the Lafayette community. She worked as an administrator in medical records at Westminster Village until the late 90’s and was a tireless volunteer for multiple organizations throughout Tippecanoe County. She served many years at the board level for the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, The Haan Museum, Civic Theater, the Wabash Valley Trust and Tippecanoe County Master Gardeners. She was a regional leader for her Gamma Phi Beta sorority and was instrumental in helping to establish a chapter house at Purdue in the late 70’s. She was an active member at Central Presbyterian Church most of her adult life and a fixture in Tri Kappa, PEO, Monday Club, Garden Club and Drama Club. In 2017, Shirley was honored with the Suzanne Stafford Memorial Award for impactful, lifelong contributions to the arts in Tippecanoe County.
Surviving are two children, Jill (David) Duncan of Richardson, TX and Matthew (Cheri) West of Hinsdale, IL as well as two grandchildren, Nicholas West and Caroline West both of Chicago, IL. Always surrounded by friends, Shirley’s vibrant spirit will live-on with all who knew and loved her.
A memorial service and celebration of Shirley’s life will take place at 2:00 pm on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at Central Presbyterian Church, 31 North 7th Street Lafayette, IN. A reception will follow next door in the Large Fellowship Hall. The service will also be live streamed. Accessible through this web address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3-CnrzLSuk
Shirley had a deep appreciation for the arts. Memorial contributions may be made to: www.lafayettesymphony.org/shirleywest
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