Shirlee J Loret

Shirlee J. Loret 1929 - 2023 Shirlee Loret passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on March 8, 2023. She was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1929 to Jacob and Lina Tichik. She was the youngest of three; her siblings were Cele and Harvey. The family relocated to Los Angeles, where Shirlee attended high school and met and married her first husband, James Perzik. Shirlee attended both UCLA and UC Berkeley. She was the first of her family members to attend college. She graduated with a BA in Education (teaching degree) and a minor in Art. After divorcing James Perzik, Shirlee married Peter Loret in San Francisco. They had two daughters, Lisa and Charlene. Shirlee and Peter moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where they purchased a house in one of the first integrated neighborhoods in the state. Shirlee taught elementary school at Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, NJ and public middle school in Lawrenceville, NJ. She also taught English as a second language in the Princeton school district. Shirlee was an artist and taught art classes at the YMCA in Princeton, NJ. Shirlee attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963 and was witness to Martin Luther King giving his “I Have a Dream” speech. In the 1970’s the family relocated back to California, settling in Lafayette. Although she no longer taught school she found employment at the IRS in Taxpayer Service where she was worked for over 10 years. Both Shirlee and her husband Peter enjoyed theater, music and the arts. They were particularly fond of following of watching the Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps perform. After Shirlee was widowed, she moved to Rossmoor in Walnut Creek where she attended art classes and was an active member of both the physics and philosophy clubs. She also loved lawn bowling. For over 15 years she could be seen around Rossmoor with her devoted companion of 25 years, Harvey DeCovnick (deceased 2020). Shirlee is survived by her daughters, Lisa Loret (Terry V) of Idaho Falls, ID and Charlene Schosser (John S) of Prescott, AZ, and three grandchildren, Daniel Schosser, Jack Schosser, Amy Loret and her nephew Joel Hoffman. She also was a “honorary grandmother” to Shira and Daniel DeCovnick, formerly of Walnut Creek. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister and brother, her 1st husband James Perzik, her 2nd husband, Peter Loret, and her companion, Harvey DeCovnick. Shirlee was a passionate person who cared about the environment, human rights and animals. At her request, she will be cremated and the family will hold a Celebration of Life in late Spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to the following charities: Lindsay Wildlife Experience (www.lindsaywildlife.org), Planned Parenthood (Planned Parenthood Northern California), Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps (www.bluedevils.org/donate/), or a charity of your choice.