Rogue Chocolate Stout: March 2015

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

O Shirrell! My Shirrell!

My mother was an ever present beacon in my life. My dream to move her to Colorado with my husband almost happened ~ she will be moving with us in spirit, and she experienced our new life, and was excited for us all.

Shirrell de Leeuw was born in Buffalo, NY in 1929. She died at home in Hopewell, NJ in 2015. In her 85 years she married to and a business partner with her life partner of 65 years, Roald Buhler. They raised four children -- I am (age-wise) monkey in the middle, and the only daughter, with three brothers who came of age in the late 60's and 70's. We challenged and questioned our parents authority, and they loved us unconditionally. We are better people for that. O Shirrell! My Shirrell! I am proud to be your daughter! R.I.P.

Shirrell de Leeuw Buhler

Born: September 15, 1929, Buffalo, New York
Died: February 26, 2015, Hopewell, New Jersey

Shirrell Buhler, founding partner of the P-STAT statistical software program died on February 26 at her home in Hopewell, New Jersey. She was a graduate of Oberlin College where she met her husband and business partner, Roald Buhler. After raising four children, her academic career began in 1966 as a research assistant at the Princeton University Office of Population Research under the direction of Prof. Charles Westoff. In 1969 she joined the staff of the Princeton University Computer Center where she managed technical support and training. In 1979 the Buhlers transitioned from academia to commercial software development, incorporated as P-STAT, Inc. Shirrell was the primary author of the P-STAT manuals and training documentation.

She loved her work, programming P-STAT for over 50 years with her husband Roald. They were a dynamic duo, working together and challenging each other to write better Fortran code. They traveled the world presenting papers, participating in government/academic/commercial projects, and training the next few generations of analytic researchers. She was a member of the American Statistical Association for decades. One colleague wrote, "She had a keen sense of how numerical analysis develops meaning, vs. the mechanics of computing."

Shirrell loved life and enjoyed it to the fullest – reading, programming, jazzercise, sudoku, Friday night dinners with friends, and most especially keeping in touch with her family.

She is survived by her sister, Carolina de Leeuw, her four children and their partners; Eric and Nancy, Sebbie and Charles, David and Karen, Marc and Jenny; and grandchildren Wade and Owen.

In memory of Shirrell please consider supporting the WWFM - The Classical Network, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550 (on-line wwfm.org) or your local Planned Parenthood office. There will be no formal memorial service.