Shelly Rene McMasters, 57, of Colfax, passed away at her home on Tuesday February 3, 2015 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Viewing will be held on Friday February 6 from 9:00am – 4:00pm at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax. Memorial services will be held at 10:30am on Monday February 9 at the Colfax First United Methodist Church immediately followed by a luncheon hosted by the church. Private family burial will be in the Colfax Cemetery. At Shelly's request, all are encouraged to wear pink to the service. She wanted to create a "sea of pink" in honor of her fight, and all those who fight against breast cancer.

Shelly was born on March 4, 1957 to Mervyn Stithem and Naomi Trimble Imler in Mount Vernon, Washington. She lived in Burlington, Washington until 1969 when her family moved to Garfield. She moved to Kirkland during her junior year of high school to attend Everett Community College where she finished her high school diploma and then attended South Seattle Community College where she studied floriculture and horticulture. She worked as a floral designer for Frederick & Nelson in Seattle while attending college.

In 1978 she married George F. Marshall and they had two daughters – Heather and Heidi. During this time, Shelly was a floral designer for Wights Nursery in Lynnwood. She and George divorced in 1987. She married Wayne Dorning in 1988 and had a son, Cameron Dorning. In her handwritten notes for this obituary, Shelly referenced that she and Wayne had a daughter, Michelle, in 1977 but had to give her up for adoption. "She found us on April 20th, 1999" Shelly wrote, "A most blessed day for our family." On October 2, 1999, Shelly married her high school sweetheart Ron McMasters and gained two step-daughters Nicole and Michele.

Shelly started her first business, "Arrangements by Shelly" at the age of seventeen and had a very diverse and expansive career, mostly in the floral industry. She worked as a corporate manager for the Bon Marche and was in charge of Christmas and floral selections for 41 stores in five states. When the Bon sold, she started as a corporate manager of two large wholesale floral companies in Portland, Oregon. She went on to start her own business, Herb Valley Farms, where she grew 400 varieties of herbs and distributed flowers to floral shops in Portland. At that same time, she also owned a flower and gifts shop that she added a tea room to, aptly named the "Secret Garden & Tea Room". She was an active participant of the Festival of Trees in Vancouver, Washington for 10 years where she won awards for the best designed Christmas tree year after year, and served on the board for the Oregon Rose Growers.

When Shelly first became diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she had to give up her businesses and move back to Colfax. While in Colfax, she worked as a designer for Cottage Gate before being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. She was an active participant in the American Cancer Society's local "Relay for Life" events and had her own Susan G Komen Race for the Cure team, organized by her sister in Milwaukee, named "Shelly's Angels". Shelly's Angels has raised over $20,000 dollars the past four years. Shelly delighted in this so she could give back to Susan G Komen who has financially supported her the past six years she has been treated for breast cancer. She was a member of the Lion's Club and the Colfax United Methodist Church and she was active in the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Shelly is survived by her husband, Ron McMasters, at the family home in Colfax; children Heidi Marshall of Colfax; Cameron Dorning of Seattle, Michelle McCauley of Monroe, Wash.; Heather Marshall of Washougal, Wash.; Michele Rhynes of Port Orchard, Wash. and Nicole Johnson of Mt. Home, Idaho; her mother Naomi Imler of Klickitat, Wash and father Mervyn Stithem of Marysville, Wash. She is also survived by her siblings Fred Aften of Halifax, Nova Scotia; Kelly Brammer of Lynnwood and Kerry Barlow of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 15 grandchildren and many dear friends.

Memorial contributions in Shelly's honor are suggested to the Susan G. Komen Foundation or to the Whitman County Humane Society or any other of your favorite Pet Rescue projects. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.