Farmington Police say they鈥檙e unaware of any connection between Shirley Voita and mother and daughter Gwendolyn Dean Schofield and Melody Ivie 鈥� the three victims in Monday鈥檚 mass shooting in Farmington. They say they just happened to be driving down a residential street when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire on passing cars and homes on his block. However, each is being remembered similarly for lives of service to their students, faith communities and large families.
Schofield was a school teacher until retirement, according to her family. They say her 73-year-old daughter Ivie owned and operated a preschool that served Farmington families for 40 years. Meanwhile, the family of Shirley Voita says she spent her career caring for students as well 鈥� as a school nurse.
Schofield鈥檚 family says she loved teaching and continued to support learners in her community through a literacy program. They described her as an 鈥渁vid humanitarian鈥� whose top priority was continued education.
Melody Ivie鈥檚 family said she had what she called 鈥済rand-students鈥� as generations of Farmington families came through the doors of Ivie League Preschool over the years. Her family wrote that even as her pre-K students grow into adults, they 鈥渞emember the love and kindness Mrs. Ivie gave them.鈥�
Meanwhile, the family of Shirley Voita says she loved being a school nurse and that she 鈥渇ound great joy in helping and encouraging others.鈥� She also volunteered for two decades at a local senior center preparing taxes among other things.
All three women are also being remembered for their impact on their neighbors and faith communities. Scholfield鈥檚 family shared that she 鈥渓oved serving others both within her church and within the community鈥� and could often be found 鈥渂aking and checking in on her friends around town.鈥� Their family says Ivie鈥檚 鈥渓ove spanned oceans,鈥� as she served as a missionary in Ghana. Voita鈥檚 family wrote that she was 鈥漥oyfully devoted to her family, friends, church and community.鈥�
All three are survived by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren 鈥� and in 97-year-old Schofield鈥檚 case, even a great-great-grandchild. Shirley Voita is also survived by her husband of 57 years, Michael.
