Michelle Ann Neiswender

Michelle Ann "Shelly" Neiswender, beloved wife, sister, aunt, friend, and the quiet strength behind so many people she loved, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 20, surrounded by love after a courageous battle with cancer.

To know Shelly was to know loyalty, wit, resilience, and fierce love. Though a deeply private person, those lucky enough to truly know her understood her sharp sense of humor, her intelligence, and the enormous heart she carried beneath her quiet nature. She loved deeply and completely, especially when it came to her family and the life she built with her wife, Lisa.

A graduate of The University of Kansas, Shelly carried both intelligence and curiosity throughout her life. Her intelligence, professionalism, and work ethic quickly became apparent throughout her career, where she earned the deep respect of consultants, contractors, and colleagues alike. Shelly was known for being exceptionally knowledgeable, thoughtful, and dependable — someone people trusted completely. A proud Jayhawk through and through, she carried her KU roots with pride throughout her life.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Shelly had a thoughtful mind and a quiet appreciation for the world around her. She loved cooking and developing recipes for her fabulous soups, even winning a chili cook-off for her "She Devil Chili." Quilting, gardening, religious studies, music, and bird watching were just some of her many hobbies — places where she found joy, peace, and creativity.

Shelly faced her illness with remarkable courage and determination. Even during the hardest days, she continued thinking about others before herself — a reflection of the person she had always been. Her strength left a lasting impression on everyone privileged enough to walk beside her.

She shared a life filled with love, laughter, routines, inside jokes, ordinary evenings that became sacred, and a partnership built on unwavering devotion. The love between Lisa and Shelly was steady, authentic, and enduring — the kind of love that becomes part of the foundation of a home.

Shelly will be remembered for her dry humor, her stubbornness when she set her mind to something, the comfort of her presence, and the way she made the people closest to her feel safe and loved simply by being there.

She is survived by her wife and partner of 29 years, Lisa Elliott; her sister Jeanette (Kent); her treasured nieces and nephews; and her great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her oldest sister, Suzanne Marie.

In the end, love stayed bigger than cancer.

Funeral Service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at Parker-Price & Davidson, 245 NW Independence Ave., Topeka, KS. Burial will follow at Prairie Home Cemetery in Topeka. The family will greet friends an hour prior to the service. 

Memorial contributions may be made to Midland Care or to the American Cancer Society. 

To leave a message for her family online, please utilize the guestbook below.