Shirley D. Ekstrom

Mom was born in Des Moines, Iowa to W.S. (Stew) Dulaney and Ruth Pierce Dulaney. She had a younger brother, W. Patrick (Pat) Dulaney, who passed away earlier this year. During her childhood, she lived in several Iowa and Missouri towns, graduating high school in Kansas City. For a year between high school and college, she went with her parents to Yakima, Washington to work at the secret Hanford Project. She attended the University of California Berkeley on a scholarship, was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and graduated in 1948. Shortly thereafter, she married James (Jim) J. Ekstrom on July 5, 1949, and what ensued was a whirlwind of moves and travels as they followed Dad’s career as a geophysicist. There were 26 moves in the first 30 years of their marriage…first to multiple locations in New Mexico and Texas, then on to Tripoli, Kansas City, Tripoli again, Houston, Tehran, New Orleans, and then finally back to Houston where she lived for the past 35 years. Somehow during all of this, Mom (and Dad of course) managed to raise two kids and create a “home” no matter where they were.

Once childrearing and moving were done with, Mom was able to pursue her interests in earnest. She was passionate about tennis and was captain of her league team for many years. She loved gardening, and her yard was always full of flowers and vegetables. She was a member of the Houston Museum and loved taking her kids and grandkids to the museum and the zoo. She also enjoyed going to plays and always had season tickets to TUTS. After Dad retired, they were able to travel for pleasure, often going on Elder Hostel travel programs where they not only got to see the sights, but were immersed in educational programs. Even after Dad passed away in 1998, she continued to go on these trips until her health became an issue. She began battling pulmonary disease about five years ago, but it was only recently that it stopped her from doing the things she wanted to do, whether it was playing tennis or cleaning house. Her grit and determination to be active and independent allowed her to do things that few her age could.

Mom is survived by her two children, Janet Glaeser and husband John, Jim Ekstrom and wife Vicki; six grandkids and step-grandkids Johnny Glaeser and wife Carrie, Jenny Glaeser and husband Jesse Isaacman-Beck , Erin Ekstrom and James Ekstrom, Matthew Merck and Emilie Merck; great grandkids Colin Glaeser and Kylie Glaeser; sister-in-law Dot Dulaney, along with a niece, three nephews and their families.