Shelby County Indiana
Obituaries
Caplinger
Obituaries
Caplinger
Freeman Family Funeral Homes
Shelbyville, Indiana
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Deveta "Joy" Caplinger
1947 - 2024
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Deveta "Joy" (Boone) Caplinger, 77, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2024, at her home in Shelbyville, surrounded by her family, after a courageous battle with liver cancer. Born in 1947 to Howard Demotte Boone and Elda Gail Canfield Boone, Joy grew up in Milan, Indiana, and graduated from Milan High School in 1965. She earned her cosmetology license and, in 1967, married her high school sweetheart, Jerry Caplinger. Together, they settled in Shelbyville, where they started several local businesses.Shelbyville, Indiana
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Deveta "Joy" Caplinger
1947 - 2024
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Joy loved being a homemaker and was the happiest when caring for her family. She enjoyed gardening, solving puzzles, and cooking. A gifted cook, Joy delighted in preparing meals for family gatherings, especially during the holidays, and passing her recipes down through generations. Joy was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, and friend who will be remembered for her kindness, warmth, and unwavering love for her family.
She is survived by her son, Kevin L. Caplinger of Shelbyville; daughter, Erica J. Caplinger of Carmel; her grandchildren, Jason Cherry of Chicago and Caroline Cherry of Bloomington; sister, Deanna "Gay" Demotte of Milan; as well as seven nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry L. Caplinger; daughter, Michelle "Shelly" R. Caplinger; and brother, Colonel Canfield Demotte "Buddy" Boone.
Private family services were entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
Freeman Family Funeral Homes
Shelbyville, Indiana
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Michelle "Shelly" Renee' Caplinger
1947 - 2024
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Michelle "Shelly" Reneé Caplinger, 56, of Nashville, passed away in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 8, 2024, after a year-long battle with ovarian cancer. She passed peacefully at the family’s home in Bloomington with her children by her side.Shelbyville, Indiana
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Michelle "Shelly" Renee' Caplinger
1947 - 2024
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Shelly was born on April 22, 1968, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the daughter of Deveta "Joy" (Boone) Caplinger and Jerry Lee Caplinger. She is survived by her mother of Shelbyville; daughter, Caroline Cherry of Nashville; son, Jason Cherry of Chicago; sister, Erica Caplinger of Indianapolis; and brother, Kevin Caplinger of Shelbyville. She was preceded in death by her father, as well as her former husband and father of her children, James "Jay" Henderson Cherry IV.
Shelly graduated in 1986 from Shelbyville High School. She continued her education and pursued a college basketball career at Penn State University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Psychology while starting as a shooting guard for the Lady Lions Women’s Basketball Team. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Silver Anniversary Team Hall of Fame in 2011, and her friends and family have long bragged about her three-pointer at the buzzer against top-ranked Virginia in 1991, securing the #1 ranking for the Lady Lions in Shelly’s senior year.
The former CEO of Wellman Furnaces, Inc., Shelly retired in 2021 with over 20 years of service. She also made a business out of her passion for photography as the founder and owner of Cherry Photography. In recent years, Shelly enjoyed her retirement by being outdoors; her green thumb resulted in bountiful home gardens, and she could often be found hiking, camping, and kayaking in Yellowwood State Forest, a camera in her hand and her rescue dog, Piper, by her side.
To have known Shelly is to have stood in the light and love that her singular radiance shone on all she touched. Her strength and selflessness knew no bounds. Her sage words of wisdom never failed to be true. And one could be sure that all of her attributes would be demonstrated alongside quick-witted humor. Shelly’s permeating embodiment of all that is good continues on in those who have the true privilege of calling her a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. Her memory lives on as pure, profound love.
Private family services will be held at a later date.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming
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