It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved mother, Jyllian Shoor, on August 22, 2022. She passed, peacefully, at her home with her devoted children, Chase and Nicole Wickersham, by her side. 

She is survived by her mother, Adrienne Shoor, of Bloomfield, Connecticut, along with her sister, Susan Malizola, of Pinellas Park, Florida. She will be dearly missed by her precious granddaughter and best buddy, Grace Frances. She will also be greatly missed by her nieces and nephew, Carolyn Grady, Julie Feldman and Jeremy Malizola, along with many lifelong friends and cherished colleagues. 

Born on December 24, 1957, Jyllian grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, and she graduated high school at Kingswood Oxford. She continued on to graduate from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Speech and Language Pathology. She has been a longstanding member of The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) since 1982. Jyllian was a graduate of the Bancroft School of Massage Therapy and she spent time as a Justice of the Peace. The entirety of her 40 year career was spent in service of others.  

Along with being an advocate for people with disabilities, Jyllian was a champion of all animals and of the environment. She was a respected elder in the LGBTQ+ community and a lifelong activist for equality. Jyllian was quite accomplished, but if you asked her she would tell you her greatest role was that of mother, bubbie, and loyal friend— we could not agree more. 

Jyllian’s kindness, passion, and humor will be felt every day in the hearts of those whose lives she touched. We will think of Jyllian every time we savor a delicious vegan meal, dance to the Grateful Dead, notice a monarch butterfly flutter past, light the Shabbos candles or marvel at the moon. We will feel her energy every time we hear someone in the distance with a joyful, bellowing laugh, every time we kindly but directly advocate for ourselves, and every time we stand up for those who may not be able to do so for themselves. We have an opportunity to honor Jyllian every time we choose kindness, inclusion, gratitude and peace. We pray that as our hearts slowly heal we may embody the grace, strength, and joy that this extraordinary human being showed every day of her life. We love you Jyllian; you belong among the wildflowers.

Services will be held in private. In lieu of flowers please consider helping us to honor Jyllian’s legacy by making a donation to PETA on her behalf, a charity near and dear to her heart.