Jean (Shelby) Shamis

Jean (Shelby) Shamis, 86, of Washington Township, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. She was born on November 22, 1938, in Jackson County, Kentucky. 

Jean graduated from Eaton High School in 1958 and became an active member of the Dayton community, working at NCR and LexisNexis before retiring in 2001 from the Hipple Cancer Research Center. For 15 years, she also devoted herself to raising her children as a stay-at-home mom and was a longtime member and president of the Ohio Valley Doll Collector’s Club with her sister Jeri. She was a standout golfer in her league, known for her competitive spirit and love of the game. 

She cherished time spent with close friends, some of whom stood by her side for decades, and she brought joy and laughter to many family gatherings, participating in all sorts of crazy shenanigans with her many siblings and extended family. She found peace and joy in sharing her beloved moonflowers and witnessing them bloom on warm summer evenings. 

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Nicholas P. Shamis; her two children, Chris (Susan) Shamis and Nicole Kessel; and three treasured grandchildren, Nathaniel Kessel, Nicholas Shamis, and Katherine Shamis. She is also survived by her seven siblings: Olferd (Maxine) Azbill of Eaton, Alfreda (Rob) Freund of Springboro, Lois (Steve) Little of Tennessee, Sharon (Darrell) Weinel of Germantown, Velma (James) Stewart of Springboro, Jack (Debra) Azbill of West Manchester, and Dale (Loraine) Azbill of Eaton, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members who loved her dearly. 

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Dallas and Zena (Van Winkle) Azbill, and her sister, Jeri (Russell) Terry. 

The family will receive friends for visitation from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2025, at Newcomer Funeral Home at 820 Miamisburg Centerville Rd.. Funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m.. Burial to follow at Woodland Cemetery in Dayton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made via the link below to Hospice of Dayton in Jean’s memory, honoring her strength, compassion, and the care she provided to others throughout her life.

To share a memory of Jean to leave a special message for her family, please visit the Guestbook below.