Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Shelby J. Coleman, who died peacefully on September 4, 2023 in Annapolis, Maryland. She was 85 years old.

Shelby was born on January 6, 1938 to the late Clyde and Pauline Morton in Piedmont, South Carolina. At the age of 18, she met and married her husband of 66 years, William Coleman, who was stationed at Donaldson Air Force Base in Greenville, SC. They moved to Washington, DC, where they raised three daughters, Patricia Donnelly of Annapolis, Susan Morris (Tyreē) of Stevensville, and Cheri Lewis of Edgewater.

Shelby was blessed with five grandchildren, Tommy Donnelly (Kayla), Lauren Donnelly (Alex), Phillip Lewis (Alexis), Marlena Lewis-Neal (Ben), and Bill Morris. She was also blessed to be the great-grandmother of Jaxson Donnelly and Lilyana Donnelly.

In addition to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Shelby is survived by her youngest brother, Anthony “Keith” Morton (Denise) of Fountain Inn, SC, and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong family friends. In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her brother, C. David Morton (Diane) and sister, Barbara McCormick (Lee).

Shelby, known also as Mom or Nanny, was a beautiful soul known for her kindness and the interest she always took in others. She faithfully and tirelessly cared for her family and friends and took a genuine interest in others, never meeting a stranger. We will never know how many lives she impacted through her kind acts and words. She was devout woman of faith whose spirituality helped shape her family and those around her through her Christian example.

Her greatest love was her family whom she loved spending time with. She also enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes, had a passion for reading and was a wonderful photographer. Her family benefits greatly from all the wonderful photographs she took over the years documenting family events and fun times.

Some of the best memories were made during yearly camping trips to Kerr Lake in NC where family and friends would meet to spend weeks together. These trips started when Bill and Shelby’s children were very young and continued once they were married and had children of their own.

You will be missed forever. Until we meet again. 
“Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean.”

Shelby's Celebration of Life will be private. Please take a moment to leave a condolence for the family using the Memories tab on this page.

Shelby J. Coleman

Shelby J. Coleman

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