If you ask Shirley Ann Geiger about her life, she’ll tell you it’s been equal parts sunshine, adventure, and deep Florida roots. Born and raised in Miami, Shirley’s childhood unfolded beneath palm trees and open skies—a world of horses, citrus groves, and the wild possibilities of the land.

She was a student at Citrus Grove Elementary and Gesu Catholic High School, but her education extended far beyond the classroom. Weekends and summers were spent on her family’s farm in South Miami and their ranch in Yeehaw Junction, where rural Florida left its mark on her heart. Shirley’s spirit for adventure took shape early on, especially when she joined local ranchers in a game called Palmetto Polo—an inventive twist on polo, played with ranch horses and sabal palm stalks for mallets. She competed against teams from other towns, a natural fit for someone who’d already learned the sport back in Miami.

Her senior year brought a change of scenery as she lived at the Yeehaw Junction ranch and attended Vero Beach High School. After graduation, she headed to the University of Florida to study Animal Science—a choice that felt as natural as the land she loved. There, Shirley met Sterling Wood, and together they raised three daughters—Sharon, Sue, and Stacey—anchored by family ties to both Orlando and the family ranch. The beach was an ever-present backdrop, too; her in-laws owned one of just two houses along a pristine, three-mile stretch of Indian River Shores, back when A1A was still just a sandy road.

Shirley’s journey led her back to the ranch, where she married TJ Durrance, a fellow rancher and one of the visionaries behind the Indian Hammock Hunt and Riding Club. In 1980, Shirley charted a new path as the founder of Durrance Realty in Vero Beach, specializing in ranches, large land tracts, and citrus groves—a business grounded in her lifelong connection to Florida’s landscape.

After TJ’s passing, Shirley found love again with Robert Hunt and moved to Ocala, where she spent 26 years surrounded by rolling pastures and new friendships. When Robert passed away earlier this year, Shirley felt the pull of home and returned to Vero Beach, settling at Renaissance Senior Living of Vero Beach to be close to her daughters. Today, Sue and Stacey live at Indian Hammock, while Sharon remains in Orlando, where her children and grandchildren still call Shirley “Mimi” with affection.



Through every chapter—Miami childhood, ranch adventures, university days, real estate ventures, and family milestones—Shirley’s story is woven with gratitude and a true sense of place. She is, at heart, a woman rooted in Florida’s land and its people, always ready for the next sunrise and the next adventure, surrounded by the love of family and friends.