Mary Elisabeth (Shelton) Stevens Gotelli

Mary Elisabeth (Shelton) Stevens Gotelli, 1925-2013. Devoted wife and mother, tireless advocate for the weak, misfortunate, and infirm, Mary departed this world on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 in her longtime home at Sun City West, Arizona. She is survived by children: Jonathan Stevens of Stockton, Michael Stevens of Hilo, Raymond Gotelli, Jr. of Brentwood, Craig Gotelli of Springfield, and Colleen Shinn of Twin Falls. In addition she is survived by loving siblings Robert Shelton (Hilda), Katie DeBoard, Lynnda Lynch, and Laura Shelton all of Little Rock and sisters-in law Mary-Jean Shelton of Arlington, Lillian Shelton, Cindy Shelton, and Narvelene Shelton of Little Rock. Mary is also survived by a multitude of grandchildren, nieces, nephews and their families. Mary has countless friends and colleagues who along with her family will mourn her passing. Mary was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, moving to Honolulu, San Francisco, and Stockton before her final move to Sun City West. She was a Registered Nurse who specialized in Cardiac Nursing, spending the bulk of her career in Stockton, California where she became a respected nursing administrator at San Joaquin General Hospital and instructor for the California Heart Association and San Joaquin Delta College School of Nursing. She was an early advocate for instruction of CPR and instrumental in the development of the curriculum for the BLS and ACLS certifications which now constitute the basic credentialing of healthcare providers throughout the country. Mary enjoyed camping, boating and the outdoors. She volunteered tirelessly for the Church serving as a Eucharistic Minister and usher. She was a devout Catholic and attended mass regularly at Our Lady of Lourdes in Sun City West. During her time in Stockton she attended mass regularly at Presentation. Her faith was central to her life, and a source of great comfort to her, secure in her belief that she would ascend to heaven to join the dearly departed who pre-deceased her and to sit at the right-hand of the Lord. In death, as in her life, she was an unassuming and modest person who embraced the Christian qualities she so admired: humility and selflessness. She requested a Rosary and a Mass be held in remembrance, a Rosary was observed in Sun City West.