Obituary of Shirley Benjamin

Shirley Irene Benjamin passed away March 26, 2020 after a brief stay at St Luke’s Magic Valley Hospital from complications from Parkinson’s disease. She was born in Sayre Pennsylvania on September 24, 1934 to Emory and Gertrude Woodruff. She was the fifth of eight children, her family was broken up and she was adopted by her Cousin Esther Woodruff and her husband Nelson Benjamin when she was three or four. Raised as an only child she never knew she had siblings, her adopted parents never talked about it. Nelson and Esther raised her well giving her all their love. She graduated from Binghamton North Senior High School in 1952 and married Lawrence Parsons. She had her first child, a daughter named Pamela Ann in 1957. She met and had a long relationship with Allan John Maxim, though they never married she took his last name. They had five children together, Susan, Michael, John, Robert, and Joseph. Shirley then took her family and moved to Idaho where she resided for the rest of her life raising five children on her own. Her first born Pamela, was raised by her adopted parents in Florida. She is survived by two sisters, Geraldine “Gerry” De Renzo of Elmira NY, and Ruth Mickey from Maine, one brother Ronald Woodruff from Pennsylvania. Two daughters Pamela Parsons Heath from Boise and Susan Fodness from Twin Falls. Four sons, Michael Maxim of Lincoln NE, John Maxim of Boise, Robert Maxim of Wendell and Joseph Maxim of Arlington Washington. Six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She is preceded by her son in law Hank Heath and her daughter in law Rose Maxim.