Shirlee Jean Wells Speer

Shirlee Jean Wells Speer passed away March 26, 2025 in Orem, Utah while in hospice care at her home.

Born in Grantsville, Utah on January 25, 1935, Shirlee was the wife of Hoyt Speer of Oran, Missouri and the eldest child of Melba Ratcliff Wells and Wesley Wayne Wells who raised their family of 5 living children in Grantsville.

Shirlee graduated from Grantsville High School in 1953 where she participated in the Glee Club and sang for many musical events in and out of school.

She married in 1954 and in 1955 Hoyt and Shirlee's only child, Cherie, was born on January 2, 1955 and was acknowledged as the 1955 New Year's Baby by the Tooele Hospital. They lived in Tooele until Mr. Speer was hired to work on a special government project that took their little family to numerous military bases across the western United States.

They then settled in Michigan prior to traveling to the island of Guam where they explored Taiwan, Japan and the Phillipines in addition to other small islands in the Mariana island chain.

Upon returning stateside they made their home in Florida where Mr. Speer later retired and passed away in 2001.

In 2024, Shirlee returned to Utah with her daughter to live in Orem. Shirlee is survived by her daughter, Cherie, two granddaughters (Heather Johnson and Holly Greethurst), two grandchildren (Ella and Thomas), one brother, (Gary Wells), and numerous beloved nephews and nieces.

Burial took place at the Grantsville Cemetery on March 29, 2025.