Shirley E. Giesbrecht

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Shirley, our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother at the age of 85 years. Shirley will be lovingly remembered and missed by her sons, Shane (Joy), Peter (Lorraine), Kim (Dawn); and her daughter Tracey (Ken); her grandchildren Jolene, Tyler (Sara), Meghan (Billy), Kayla (Travis), Logan (Dani), Aylannah (Darian), Kyle and Amber; and her great-grandchildren Riley, Keely, Lincoln, Levi, Parker, Emma, Wyatt, Tatum and Fynn, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Shirley was born in Duchess, AB the youngest of 10 children to John and Christine Tobler. She spent her first few years on the family farm before moving to Calgary in 1941. She was a graduate of Crescent Heights High School and met her sweetheart Ernie at the Modern Cafe where she was a waitress. They were married on June 3, 1955 in Calgary, AB. They moved to the Town of Montgomery and in 1967 to the Haysboro community and raised their 4 children while Shirley was a stay at home mom, watching the boys play hockey and Tracey do baton, even helping to shovel the ice between games! Once her kids were older she dipped her feet in the food industry business, first working at McDonald's alongside her sons Shane and Peter, and then as the owner of a cafe at Maclin Ford.

She enjoyed crystal resin art, cross stitching, baking, watching curling and hummingbird collecting. Later in life she enjoyed people watching at her retirement home, coffee with friends and origami.

In her retirement she watched her grandkids play hockey, figure skating, soccer and gymnastics. She attended numerous dance and baton recitals, made costumes from hand and rag curled hair like a pro. She enjoyed Tim Horton’s coffee and morning walks at South Centre Mall and was NEVER one to turn down dessert.

Shirley is survived by her sisters-in-law Mary Tobler and Audrey Giesbrecht. She is predeceased by her husband of 58 years Ernie, her parents and her siblings Alfred, Art (Ruth), Harold (Gladys), Ralph (Marian), Elsie (Ernie), Bob (Marie), Jean (Clarence), Leah and her twin Dorothy (Jerry).

We were fortunate to spend Christmas with Shirley in person for the first time since COVID and we will be forever grateful for that time.

A Memorial Service will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary, Alberta (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 2:00 PM

The family would like to thank the staff at Swan Evergreen Retirement Home and Dr. Mark Sosnowski for their special care and compassion.