Shirley Marie Francis, age 76, passed away Saturday, September 19, 2026, at her home in Buckeye, Arizona. Shirley was born on March 16, 1950, to George and Agnes Koehler (Borders) in Kansas City, Missouri.
Shirley graduated in 1968 from Kearney High School, Kearney, Missouri. She later obtained her associate’s degree from Park University, Parkville, Missouri. After being transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, she attended Kennesaw College in Atlanta where she received her master’s degree in 1993 in Business Finance.
Shirley married Charles William Francis on December 19, 1970, at the First Baptist Church in Kearney, Missouri. Chuck and Shirley were married a few months short of reaching their 50th wedding anniversary.
Family members who passed before Shirley were her parents, George Koehler (2014) and Agnes Marie Koehler (Borders) in 2002; her husband, Charles William Francis (2020); youngest brother, David Earl Koehler (2017); brother-in-law, Victor Lee Minnis (2016); and her nephew, Timothy Dale Minnis in 2023.
She is survived by her brother, John D. Koehler (Debbi) of Buckeye, Arizona; her sister, Rose Ann Minnis Koehler of Belton, Missouri. A sister-in-law, Joann Francis. She also leaves behind several nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.
Shirley will be buried at White Chapel Cemetery in Gladstone, Missouri with her husband and close to her parents and grandparents and many other relatives.
A visitation will be held at White Chapel Funeral Home, 6600 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, Missouri 64119, on October 1, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 pm, and a committal service at 3:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org/) or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (https://www.bcrf.org/blog/honor-and-memorial-giving/).
