Carol F. Shirk

Carol (Finley) Shirk, 78, of Carmel, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2021, at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis. She was born on June 29, 1942 in Albany, Indiana, and was the beloved daughter of the late Donald E. Finley and Margaret E. Finley. She is survived by her sister Alice (Jane) Nash of Bluffton; her loving husband, Michael; and two children, Jennifer Shirk of Indianapolis and Jason (Cara) Shirk of Downers Grove, IL. She has three teen-aged granddaughters, Olivia, Katie, and Avery. She was the center of our family and will be dearly missed. 

Carol was part of a large farming family from the Muncie area and enjoyed life-long relationships, especially with her grandparents, aunts and cousins. She was a storyteller and loved talking about her life on the farm and at the lakes in Indiana and Michigan with her family. Having grown up in Avilla, IN, with a small high school class, she cherished and maintained many friendships over the decades. In particular, a childhood friend she met in 2nd grade, and one that she met at her first job. They’ve been with her every step of the way. She loved making new friends and sharing common interests.

A lifelong learner, Carol earned four degrees over three decades. She graduated from Avilla (IN) High School in 1960 and earned an Associates’ degree in Business from International Business College in Ft Wayne. She was very interested in US history, especially Indiana history. Carol earned both a Bachelors’ and a Masters’ degree, with honors, from Indiana University in the 1980s. While she worked on these degrees, she worked in banking and raised her children. 

Carol and Michael lived in Noblesville for almost 40 years. They loved traveling and were able to do that for much of their lives together. Hard-working and selfless, Carol was devoted to her family and to her church. She lovingly cared for her ailing parents for two decades. During this time, she was also active in the lives of her children, became a first-time grandmother and was an active volunteer in her church. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Noblesville for nearly 40 years. Carol was very involved in mission work there and was a Stephen Minister, walking alongside and comforting those in crises. In recent years, they moved to Carmel and became active at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. 

A viewing will be held at Randall and Roberts Funeral Home on Monday, March 29 from 5:00-7:00 p.m., 1150 Logan Street, Noblesville. Masks and social distancing are required. Her funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 10 a.m., at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis. There will be a limit of 75 attendees due to Covid restrictions. The service will be available via livestream at (https://www.secondchurch.org/funeral).  A private burial with immediate family will take place after the funeral at Crownland Cemetery, Noblesville. Online condolences can be made at www.randallroberts.com. The family understands that because of Covid not everyone will be comfortable attending for safety reasons. Please do not feel obligated to attend in person. We know that you are with her in spirit.
 
The family would like to thank her nurses Sam and Ashton at St. Vincent Hospital 86th Street ICU for keeping she and her family comfortable during this very difficult time. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged to be made in her name to the Humane Society of Indianapolis, 7929 N. Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268; or the Northside Food Pantry at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260.