Shirley Anderson

SHIRLEY ANN ANDERSON

July 29, 1929 - June 5, 2023

Shirley Ann Anderson passed away peacefully on June 5, 2023, just shy of her 94th birthday.

She was preceded in death by husband, Harry D. Anderson; parents, Roy and Julia Raymond; in-laws Dewey and Doris Anderson; sisters Delores Anderson (Dewey Anderson Jr., deceased), Judy DiCroce, and sister-in-law Marguerite Arnett (James Arnett, deceased).

Sister to Marilyn Raymond and Karen Raymond. Mother to Connie Harnage, Bonnie Pichler (Michael), and Susan Mancini (John); grandmother to Jessica Whiteaker (Tyler), Andy Harnage, Tina Berner (Andrew), Garrett Pichler (Anne), and Leighton Peebles (Josh); as well as six great-grandchildren that she adored (Macy, Carson, Fitzwilliam, Reagan, Elijah and Georgiana).

Shirley was born to Roy and Julia Raymond in Louisville, CO, the eldest of five girls. She graduated from North High School, marrying Harry Anderson on Valentine's Day, 1954.  She worked in accounting for the Hendrie & Bolthoff Manufacturing Co. until leaving for the impending birth of her twins, Connie and Bonnie. Her dedication to her family throughout her life was the most important thing to her, becoming caregiver for in-laws, her parents, and her aunt. She loved having family holiday parties, family reunions, and going to any event invited (often the first to arrive, last to leave), sharing her sense of humor and love for everyone.

Shirley was the matriarch of the family, often leading family celebrations with singing of her two favorite songs: You Are My Sunshine, and God Bless America. She became fondly known to family, as well as staff at her care communities, as Sunshine Shirley and Curley Shirley (always a perm!). She and Harry traveled often in their retirement taking mystery trips to the Canary Islands and South Korea (where Harry served in the Korean war) amongst other places. They traveled multiple times a year to Arkansas to visit Connie and her family, with the grandkids camping out in their fifth wheel. They also enjoyed many years of bowling twice a week and traveling to tournaments both in and out of state. Shirley was forever young at heart, doing the splits and a head stand at her 70th birthday party.  After that party, she said "never again".

She shared her sense of humor until the very end - she wasn't ready to go as she didn't want to miss anything!

We will all miss her dearly; we are so very thankful she shared her life with us!  We are all blessed and better for having known her... she taught us many lessons in life and one that is repeated often to this day - "treat others as you want to be treated".  She did just that!

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

A graveside service will be held at Ft. Logan National Cemetery, 3698 S. Sheridan Blvd., Denver, CO, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 10:15 am. Meet at Staging Area C at 10:00 am. A luncheon reception will follow.