Shirley Wolfe

Shirley Jean (Knoll) Wolfe, 76, of Austin, Texas, passed away on October 27, 2026. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Shirley was a woman of deep faith who was generous with her time and talents.

Shirley was born on October 2, 1950, in Garden City, Kansas, to Edwin Godfrey Knoll and Eleanor Theresa (Seib) Knoll. She grew up in a large Catholic family alongside siblings Larry, Marlene, David, Paula and Kevin. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School through eighth grade, a time she always remembered fondly, and graduated from Garden City Senior High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from the University of Kansas in Lawrence in 1973.

On June 14, 1969, Shirley married David Alan Wolfe, Sr.–a marriage that would last 57 years. Together they raised two sons, David and Jeff. She cherished her sons and their wives, her six grandchildren, and her two great-grandchildren.

In 1978, Shirley began her 39-year career in banking, working for Lady Bird Johnson at Bank of the Hills in Austin. In 1989, Shirley joined Hartman & Associates, beginning a 28-year association with the Hartman family. She worked at Hartland Bank from 1993 to 1999, then for Hartman & Associates, where she remained until her retirement. Over those years, the Hartmans became far more than employers; the close friendship between the Hartman and Wolfe families is one Shirley treasured.

Her Catholic faith guided her throughout her life. Shirley and Dave were founding members of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin, and she was a proud supporter of St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School, where her youngest grandchildren attend. She especially loved attending weekly Mass at St. Dominic Savio and Holy Family Catholic School.

An avid quilter, Shirley made quilts for herself and, most often, for others. Many of her quilts went to The Linus Connection, which delivered security blankets to kids in battered women’s shelters, emergency rooms, and crisis centers. Over the years, Shirley quilted 5,586 quilts, totaling more than 20 million square inches of fabric—enough to cover all of Barton Springs. She was an active member of Twisted Threads, the Tuesday Sewing Group, PMS Group, FLAASHI Longarm Group, and Honey Bees. She especially loved attending quilting retreats.

Over the years, Shirley and Dave enjoyed many adventures–to Alaska and Wyoming, and to glimpse total eclipses in Missouri and Texas–with Dave’s brothers and their wives, Dean and Cheryl, and Doug and Lora, all of whom Shirley loved dearly.

Shirley will be remembered for her extraordinary kindness and her giving heart. She was patient and forgiving, gracious toward old and young and everyone in between. She was a loyal friend, there for those she loved in their hours of need. She went out of her way to make people feel understood and cared for.

Shirley is survived by her husband of 57 years, David Alan Wolfe, Sr.; her sons, David Wolfe, Jr. (Lauren Cafferty) of Cedar Park, Texas, and Jeffrey Wolfe (Britta) of Austin, Texas; her grandchildren, Minerva Cafferty Wolfe, Moira Cafferty Wolfe, Elizabeth Wolfe (Matthew Hartill), Thomas Wolfe, Katherine Wolfe and Nathaniel Wolfe; her great-grandson, Zev Hartill; her siblings, Marlene Anschutz of Kansas City, Missouri, David Knoll of Buena Vista, Colorado, and Kevin Knoll of Garden City, Kansas; her sister-in-law, Kathy Knoll; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Eleanor Knoll; her brother, Larry Knoll; her sister, Paula Knoll; and her great-grandson, Solomon Hartill.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, in Austin, Texas. Rosary will precede the Mass at 10:30 a.m.