Shelley Hopson Chamberlain, 68, of Guilford, wife of 46 years to Lee Chamberlain, died peacefully Nov. 9 with her husband by her side. She was born Oct. 19, 1945 in New Haven to Jean (Foote) Hopson and the late James Hopson of East Haven. She fought the good fight for 11 months against metastatic breast cancer using the motto “we are all in this together” to get her through.

Shelley grew up in East Haven and attended school there through high school. She attended and graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a degree in physical education, and taught elementary physical education in the Montville school district for four years before leaving to raise her family. She worked as a swim instructor and guard at the YWCA in New Haven, and later at Albertus Magnus College, where she taught swim lessons to countless people young and old. She attended massage therapy school, and upon graduation worked at Anatomical Arts with her longtime friend Lenore Shapiro for the past 20 years until her illness prevented her from continuing.

She was a friend to all, and her high school yearbook stated that she was “injected with a ray of sunshine” upon birth. That was for sure! She was a woman of unwavering faith and shared that faith with all. She had many friends and will be missed.

Her family thanks all who ministered to her needs at Smilow Cancer Center, Guilford House, Connecticut Hospice, Hospice Home Care, and Can Support, as well as her doctors, Donna Criscenzo and Kay Haedicke, and all who provided prayer support, visits, and meals. They are all angels and the family could not have made it through this without them. God bless them.

In addition to her husband, whom she met when they were in high school, she is survived by two children, Erik Chamberlain and his wife Bianca and Mari and her husband Mike Mariano; grandchildren Megan, Matthew, and Miles, who adored her; brothers Frank Hopson and his wife Carole of East Haven and Gary Hopson and his wife Shelley of Maryland; sister-in-law Linda Lynehan of Newburyport, Massachusetts; several nieces, and a nephew.

A celebration of Shelley’s life will be held Sunday, Nov. 24 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the North Guilford Congregational Church, 159 Ledge Hill Road, North Guilford. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to The Connecticut Hospice, Inc., P.O. Box 783, Branford, CT 06405.