Shirley Rooker Steehler, a broker, club member and avid golfer whose life centered on family, friends and community, died on May 25, 2026, at Sierra del Sol Senior Living in Tucson. She was born Shirley Young on Jan. 18, 1932, in Ada, Oklahoma, and was 94 years old at the time of her passing.
Portrait published with the Tucson obituary (1932–2026), showing an elderly woman in a light jacket — the portrait used alongside the Legacy obituary.
For much of her professional life Shirley and her first husband, Tim Rooker, owned and operated Rooker Realty. In the business she served as the broker, overseeing real estate activities while maintaining a presence in the community. Tim Rooker’s service as an Air Force officer took the family overseas for a four-year posting in Germany, a period the couple and their family later recalled as part of a broader life shaped by travel, work and connections forged through military and civilian communities.
The Rookers were active members of local country clubs, counted among them Skyline and Pinetop, and maintained a cabin in Pinetop that became a regular gathering place for friends and family. Golf played a central role in that social life: friends and relatives would gather at the cabin and on the links, where Shirley established herself as a strong competitor. She won multiple golf championships over the years and was widely known among her circle for both her skill and competitive spirit on the course.
Tim Rooker preceded her in death in 1993. Several years after his passing, Shirley married Ted Steehler. That marriage brought a second extended family into her life; Ted shared Shirley’s interests in golf, travel and entertaining. Together with spouses and relatives, they maintained a network of close relationships that included regular travel and social events centered on the pursuits the couple enjoyed.
Shirley’s home life revolved around her daughters and their families. She is survived by daughters Gael Stirler, who is married to Jake, and Sharon Steehler. Her grandchildren include Jacob Stirler, who is married to Megan; Sharon Faust, who is married to Ryan; and Tim Steehler, who is married to Hannah. She also leaves three great-grandchildren: Cora, Sophia and Jude. Extended family members who remain include Frank and Beth Schnepp and relatives identified as Sara, Kate and Amy, along with their families. Those names were listed among survivors and reflect the broad circle she nurtured through decades of family gatherings and community involvement.
Friends and family remembered Shirley as a generous hostess with a sharp sense of humor. She entertained frequently, and the obituary record notes she could be “wickedly funny,” a quality that persisted even as she lived with dementia in later years. Her final years were marked by a prolonged struggle with that condition; those close to her described the experience as a long goodbye, observing the ways she continued to show kindness and grace through advancing illness. The family cited both the difficulty of watching the disease progress and the quiet dignified way she faced it.
No public services have been planned at this time. Arrangements and memorial details were handled privately by family. In lieu of a formal service, options to honor her memory that were included in published notices included planting memorial trees. The obituary was published in the Arizona Daily Star from June 1 to June 7, 2026, and the family invited friends to sign a guest book and share memories through the notice’s online pages. The record of her life highlights professional accomplishments in real estate, active membership in civic and recreational clubs, competitive success in golf and a family-centered social life that spanned generations.