Shirley was born June 11, 1924 to Sterling and Mary Evans at her grandparents dairy farm in Chilhowee, Missouri. She grew up on her parents farm and orchard in Buckner, Missouri, where she lived until she left for college at age 17. In spite of the hard work and many chores, her memories of the farm were happy ones, and she always felt that the farm gave her a good foundation for life. The woods surrounding her home, the wildflowers and birds and trees, nurtured her early love of the natural world. Until the end of her life she remembered listening to the call of the whippoorwill at night, climbing a favorite mulberry tree with a sack of apples and a book to read, and walking through the woods to find wildflowers like Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Dutchmen’s Breeches.
Shirley attended the University of Missouri and met her future husband Larry Kircher at the first mixer of the “Independent Men and Independent Women.” After her graduation with a degree in Dietetics she married Larry and joined him in Chicago where he was attending medical school at Northwestern University. Life in Chicago was an exciting and amazing change from life on the farm. Shirley was fascinated by the many ethnic groups and the diversity of people. She loved the cultural events, attended her first symphonies and operas, and came to share Larry’s love of classical music. She especially enjoyed the Chicago Art Museum and took painting and art classes there. A particularly vivid memory for her was the end of World War II and the exuberant and joyful celebrations of the multitudes of people crowding the streets.
In 1949 Shirley and Larry moved to Denver for Larry’s surgical residency and then in 1955 they moved to Colorado Springs where Larry began his private surgical practice. As their three children grew older Shirley had the opportunity to pursue her own interests. She became a member of the League of Women Voters because of her interest in what was happening in the world and her desire to be an informed and active participant in the democratic process. She eventually served as president of the League, and until the last years of her life greatly enjoyed getting together with League friends at brown bag lunches.
During this time she also became part of a women’s hiking group that went out every week to explore the beautiful mountains of Colorado. She thoroughly enjoyed the weekly hikes and the chance to be in the natural world she had loved since childhood. Eventually she and some of her friends made three hiking trips into (and out of!) the Grand Canyon as was well as a memorable hike through the Black Forest in Germany.
Shirley’s concern for the welfare of others and desire to help people less fortunate than herself led her to tutor adults in reading and then to become a teacher at, and eventually Director of, the Adult Education Program of District 11. She began by teaching students for their GED examination and then became involved in English as a Second Language classes. While still teaching she returned to school at Colorado State University to study Adult Education and ESL and earned her Masters degree in Education in 1975.
She cared deeply about her students and admired them for how hard they worked and all they went through, whether to earn the diploma they had missed earlier in their life or to learn the language of their new country. The students who went on to become teachers themselves especially touched her. When she retired from the Adult School a scholarship fund was created in her name to help the school graduates continue their education. She chaired the Scholarship Awards Committee until late in her life, and the Adult School and its students were always close to her heart.
After retirement Shirley was able to pursue painting as she had wanted to do since her years in Chicago. She took classes in watercolor from a number of teachers and had the time and opportunity to paint a great deal. She loved painting and joined the Arati Gallery where she sold her paintings and had several shows. She was always thrilled that people liked her work and wanted to buy it. After Larry retired from his medical career they enjoyed traveling and went on many Elder Hostels in the United States and Europe. They also spend happy and memorable times at their second home in Santa Fe and at the log cabin built by their family at Guffey, Colorado. All of these travels inspired many more paintings and a series of watercolor journals.
Larry’s death in 2007 after 62 years of marriage was a sad transition in Shirley’s life, but she carried on with her family and many friends and with the activities she enjoyed. She will be greatly missed by the many people who loved her.
Shirley is survived by her three children- Mary Kircher (John Wagner), Tobias Kircher (Summer Kircher), and Anne Dye (Mike Dye), as well as five grandchildren- Sara Rollo, Alex Szczech, Ashley Oliphant, Scott Dye, and Julie Dye, and ten great-granchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shirley Kircher Scholarship Fund at: Adult and Family Education, Attention Shirley Kircher Scholarship Fund, 2115 Afton Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80909.
A Memorial Celebration is planned for June 17th at 10am at Swan-Law Funeral Home at 501 N. Cascade Avenue.
(Photo credit: Nephew Christian Peacock)
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