Shirley Jeanne Johnsen Francavilla

November 14, 1939 - July 4, 2026

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, devout Catholic, professional musician and music educator, passed away peacefully at home, on July 4, 2026.

Born in 1939 to Kathryn and Stanley Johnsen, Shirley’s parents gave her the gift of an unwavering Catholic faith that shaped how she lived.

When it was time for young Shirley to start elementary school, she was found to be academically inclined and was moved up a grade. She remained a year younger than her peers in school throughout her lifetime but was always at the top of her class.

Studying piano as a child, she discovered her affinity for piano and eventually organ, when she got to high school. She learned to play on the organ at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Rapid City and would practice her craft after school with the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) sisters.

A Cathedral High School Cheerleader, Shirley was both Homecoming Queen and May Queen, honoring Mother Mary in the month of May. Shirley developed a devotion to Mother Mary early on and always had a rosary in her hand before she went to sleep.

The BVM sisters introduce Shirley to the music program at Clarke College (now Clarke University) in Dubuque, Iowa, where she discovered she had “perfect pitch”, a rare, God given ability.

Shirley honed her craft, spending hours in practice rooms using her discipline and talent to become a concert pianist and organist along with earning her teaching degree and credentials and a history minor.

Shirley made lifelong, loving and faith-filled friends at Clarke who she kept in touch with weekly for her entire life.

As a college graduate, Shirley was hired to be the organist at Mt. Rushmore National Monument, where she provided music for the lighting of the National Monument each summer night.

Music education brought Shirley to Colorado where she met the love of her life, her beloved husband of almost 60 years Anthony Francavilla, Jr. (Tony).

Shirley and Tony raised their four children in Arvada and were lovingly present, cheering their children on at games and musical and theatre performances, ice skating and tobogganing, bike riding and swimming, summer reading programs and enjoying family camping trips and drives in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Through it all, their Catholic faith was their guiding light as they prioritized faith, family, education and community, with Shirley sharing her gift of music in a myriad of ways.

Shirley was one of the first organists at St. Joan of Arc Parish and played the organ at The Shrine of St. Anne for decades.

As a music educator, Shirley shared the gift of music with students at The Shrine of St. Anne School and multiple schools in Jefferson County for 25 years, putting on Christmas, holiday and spring musical programs that brought joy to all who were involved. Shirley also taught private piano lessons to students in their home.

Shirley was an avid gardener and cherished both her rose garden and vegetable garden in the summertime, always sending visitors home with a vase of roses, or some homegrown vegetables from their garden.

Shirley had the most beautiful penmanship and cards and letters were Shirley’s “love language”. She let the people she loved know how much she loved and cared about them by sending handwritten cards on birthdays, First Communions, graduations, weddings and anniversaries and had a gift with expressing love and gratitude in warmly written thank you notes.

Shirley’s family is so grateful for the life she lived, guided by her Catholic faith that she shared so generously. Shirley will always be truly loved and cherished by her family and friends who miss her dearly.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Tony, their infant son Mark, and her parents Kathryn and Stanley Johnsen. She is survived by four children, Kathryn Francavilla (Tom King), Julie Cipoletti (Kevin), Anthony Francavilla, III (Sara), Michael Francavilla (Bernadette); ten grandchildren: Chet, Annabel, Conrad, Gavin, Claire, Lucas, Emma, Genevieve, Lucia and Antonio; Brothers Bruce Johnsen (Martha), Ronald Johnsen and Roger Johnsen and brother in law Richard Francavilla, along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews and extended family members.

On Tuesday, July 14th, 2026 A Rosary will be held at 9:30a.m. followed by a Holy Funeral Mass at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Arvada, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Clarke University Music Program, Dubuque, Iowa or St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Arvada, Colorado.