Shirley Ann Duke Gain, passed from this life in Lake Charles on July 4, 2020. Her life will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 7, at 10:00 a.m. in a private family service at Hixson Funeral Home in Lake Charles. Burial will follow at Consolata Cemetery.
Shirley was born October 23, 1935, in DeQueen, Arkansas. She moved with her family to Baton Rouge in 1941 and graduated from Istrouma High School in 1953. She met her husband, Walter, when he was on a weekend pass from the Chennault Air Force Base with a Duke family friend. They married on June 19, 1953. In January, 1955, they moved to Denver, Colorado, Walter’s home town. The Gains transferred to Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1967. She had made a very successful transition to her Denver home and really missed her friends and the mountains, but she quickly made a new home in Lake Charles.
Shirley was a loving daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother, devoted to her family. Friends and family will miss her warm and inviting “trademark” smile. She was a Christian who loved her church fellowships at Riverside Baptist Church in Denver and Trinity and Sale Street Baptist Churches in Lake Charles, participating as a Sunday School leader and teacher, a chaperone for mission trips and youth camps, a host for youth fellowships, and a part of the music ministry. She loved Bible study and was active in Bible Study Fellowship International since its beginning in Lake Charles.
Shirley loved the arts; she attended many concerts and enjoyed Broadway as well as many theater seasons at the Lutcher. She was extremely creative—always making things. Among the hobbies she loved were gardening, sewing, crocheting, painting, ceramics, china-painting, and various other crafts. In addition, she loved to sing, especially hymns. In her last few years, she sang with the Verandah Entertainers. She grew up singing in her church with her brother; often her family, neighbors, and friends would hear her singing her favorite hymns, including “In the Garden,” “On Calvary,” “Whispering Hope,” “How Great Thou Art,” “Church in the Wildwood,” and “I Know Whom I Am Believed.” Shirley was also a sports fan; she had season tickets for the McNeese Cowboy football games for three decades and loved to watch pro football and baseball, too.
Most of all, she was a “pro” at being a mom to four daughters. She was very supportive of all her daughters’ activities. She was always a room mother and a Girl Scout leader. In fact, when she found out that Lake Charles had no Girl Scout troops, she helped organize some and taught the girls outdoor camping and cooking skills. She helped with many school activities, including the Gatorettes, Barbe cheerleaders, Barbe Bluebelles, and the Barbe chorus. She knew how to support and assist without “hovering.” She attended nearly every performance, game, concert, speech, pep rally, and parent meeting. She sewed for her four “girls,” making uniforms, homecoming suits, prom gowns, costumes, and even their hand-beaded wedding dresses. She began working on her college degree when her oldest daughters were in college in 1975, and she graduated with her youngest daughter ten years later. Of course, she had to take a few semesters away from her studies for graduations, wedding preparations, and the births of her grandchildren. She earned a B.A. from McNeese State University in 1985 and taught at various high schools in Lake Charles for many years.
Those surviving to cherish her memory are her four daughters: Margaret Gain Goode and husband Mark of Lake Charles; Patricia Gain Chester and husband Stan of Benton, Arkansas; Janet Gain Daigle and husband Francis of Sulphur; and Phyllis Gain Derise and husband Mark of Lake Charles. She was “Grandma Gain” to her seven grandchildren Tricia Lundy Barrow; Brandi Goode Ganser; Kevin Goode; Elliott Chester; Amy Daigle Nicholson; Kelly Daigle Pandosh, and Morgan Daigle Spaulding; and she was Great Grandma to their eleven children. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Walter J. Gain; parents, Mamie (Grant) and John Porter Duke; brothers, John Porter Duke, Jr., and Wayne Duke. Shirley also leaves behind dear friends who may be comforted by their fond memories of her. The family is also grateful for Dr. Ron Lewis, Jr., St. Joseph Hospice, and the staff at the Verandah who cared for her in her last days.
Reverend Mel Yorks will lead the service. Pallbearers include Mark Goode, Stan Chester, Francis Daigle, Mark Derise, Elliott Chester, and Kevin Goode. In lieu of flowers, family would appreciate donations made to the building fund at Sale Street Baptist Church where the Gains fellowshipped for three decades.
For the safety of Mrs. Gain's family and friends during this current pandemic, the services will be closed to the public. We invite you to sign her digital register book and leave a fond memory or sentiment of condolences on our website www.hixsonfuneralhomes.com.
