Shirley A. (Matz) Sumser-Armstrong

July 29, 1934 – April 30, 2016

" Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come."

" Psalm 23

Shirley A . (Matz) Sumser-Armstrong, age 81, of Canton, returned to her heavenly home on April 30, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer. Her devotion to her family and her firm belief in God supported her in this struggle and ultimately gave her peace. Shirley was blessed with a large and loving family. She was the mother of five children: Michael (Johnna) Sumser, Debra Sumser, Elizabeth Vliet, John Sumser, and Theresa Kesic. She had 9 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren. Shirley was a successful business woman. She was kind, and soft-spoken. She graduated from Aultman Hospital School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse in 1954, and then devoted her life to the care and compassion of helping the elderly. She was the founder, owner, and developer of the Mayflower Nursing Home, most recently known as Sumser Retirement Village. Through her hard work and perseverance she developed a relatively small nursing home into a substantial multi-level retirement community: consisting of Independent Living, Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing facilities. The family of Shirley would like to extend their deepest gratitude to Dr. Steve Grossman, Dr. Jeff Marsh, Dr. Laura Haney, the RN's and Nursing Assistants at Aultman Compassionate Care Center and a special thank you to Dawn for the special care she gave her. Words alone cannot express the outstanding care they gave our mother, and also the support they gave us children. Family and friends will be received on Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm at the Rossi Family Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Thursday at 10:00 am in the funeral home with Rev. Fr Leo Wehrlin officiating. Internment will be in Sunset Hills Burial Park.