Shirley Ann Grimnes

Shirley Ann Grimnes (née Fox), age 86, of Copperas Cove, Texas, passed away peacefully on September 10, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. Born on May 11, 1940, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Shirley was the beloved daughter of George and Ida Fox and the cherished younger sister of Walter and Robert Fox.

Shirley graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha in 1958 before attending the University of Colorado, where she earned a degree in Arts and Sciences. During her college years, she became a proud member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, forming friendships and memories that remained meaningful throughout her life.

It was during those college years in Colorado that Shirley met David "Dave" Grimnes, a young Army serviceman stationed nearby. Their meeting would become one of the most important moments of both their lives. There was an immediate connection between them, and before long, they became inseparable.

On November 21, 1963, Shirley married Dave, the love of her life. Their nearly 58-year marriage was a beautiful partnership built on devotion, friendship, family, and a shared commitment to the life they were creating together. They raised four children, John, Erik, Jeff, and Julie, and made their home in Seattle, Washington, where they built a family surrounded by love and countless memories.

Shirley was a woman of remarkable creativity and talent. She enjoyed a successful career in graphic design, spending more than twenty years with Peoples Bank, where she became a lead designer admired for her creativity, professionalism, and artistic vision. Her entrepreneurial spirit eventually led her to establish her own business, T&G Graphics, allowing her to continue doing work she loved while sharing her talents with others.

But Shirley's creativity extended far beyond her career. She had an artist's eye and a gift for making ordinary things beautiful. She loved painting, playing the piano, tending to her garden, cooking wonderful meals, and creating a warm and welcoming home for her family and friends. Her artistic spirit could be seen in the things she made, the spaces she created, and the care she put into everything she did.

In 2006, Shirley and Dave retired and moved from Seattle to Copperas Cove, Texas. For Shirley, retirement offered more time to enjoy the things that brought her happiness and, most importantly, more time with Dave. They discovered that they needed very little to be happy. They enjoyed family visits, quiet conversations, shared meals, time in the garden, and simply being together.

Their relationship remained at the center of Shirley's life. Dave was not only her husband, but her companion, partner, and best friend. They had spent nearly six decades growing older together, raising a family, navigating life's challenges, and finding joy in the everyday moments they shared. The love between them was steady and enduring, reflected in the countless small ways they cared for and supported one another.

Dave's passing in 2021 was an immeasurable loss for Shirley. Yet the life they had built together gave her a lifetime of memories to carry with her. She continued to find strength and comfort in her family, her creative pursuits, and the love that surrounded her. In many ways, the years after Dave's passing were a testament to Shirley's own strength and resilience.

The move to Texas had brought Shirley and Dave closer to their eldest son, John, and his wife, Claudia. Their love and support became especially important following Dave's passing. John and Claudia were a constant presence in Shirley's life, helping with daily needs, providing companionship, and making sure she never felt alone. Their generosity, patience, and steadfast devotion gave Shirley comfort, security, and peace during her later years. She was deeply loved and cared for, and that love meant more than words can express.

Shirley shared a particularly beautiful bond with her grandson, Andrew, the son of Erik. Their weekly telephone conversations became a treasured tradition, filled with laughter, stories, and conversations about their shared interests. Andrew's sense of humor often mirrored Shirley's own, and she looked forward to their calls with genuine excitement. Their relationship grew into something more than grandmother and grandson, it was a friendship filled with affection, laughter, and a special understanding of one another.

Shirley also shared a special bond with Chris and Charlie Butcher, the children of her son Erik's longtime partner, Eileen Demetrio. Through years of phone calls, family visits, holiday conversations, and expressions of love and gratitude, Chris and Charlie became cherished members of her family. Though they were not grandchildren by birth, Shirley embraced them as grandchildren in every way that mattered. They held a special place in her heart, and she in theirs.

Shirley is survived by her four children, John, Erik, Jeff, and Julie; her grandchildren, Zachary and Andrew; and her great-grandchildren, James, Jacqueline, and Lilly Ann.

Shirley's legacy is woven through the family she loved, the art she created, the home she nurtured, and the countless acts of kindness she gave so freely. She will be remembered for her creativity, warmth, strength, generosity, and the beautiful way she made people feel cared for.

Above all, Shirley will be remembered as a woman who loved deeply and lived her life with her heart centered on family. Her greatest love was Dave, and their nearly 58 years together shaped so much of who she was. Even after he was gone, the life they created together remained a source of comfort and meaning.

Shirley spent nearly six decades loving and being loved by the same man. Her family finds comfort knowing that after five years apart, she has now returned to the person with whom she shared so much of her life.

Dave and Shirley were together for nearly 58 years, and now they are together again.

She will forever be loved, remembered, and deeply missed.