Shirley Eileen (Potter) Kalkofen, 84, passed away Friday, February 8, 2019 at McClay Senior Care in St. Peters, MO. Shirley was born November 30, 1934 in Woonsocket, RI to Walter E. Potter and Dorine (Alarie) Potter. When Shirley was a child, Walter and Dorine moved their family from New England to southern California.
Shirley loved all things dance. Growing up, Shirley and her sister, Claire, danced on local TV talent shows, rubbing elbows with the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr., among others. While her passion was tap dance, Shirley was also very talented in ballet. She graduated from Englewood High School.
As the maid of honor in her sister Claire's wedding, Shirley met her future husband, a U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant, Robert Kalkofen. Married in 1953, Bob and Shirley lived in California until 1965 when they moved their three kids to Mexico, MO to run the local A & W Root Beer restaurant with Bob's brother.
Shirley's love of dance only grew with time and she instilled that passion in her daughters. When the owner of a local dance studio retired, Shirley took over and taught various styles of dance to hundreds of kids; from tap, ballet, jazz, and ballroom to whatever else caught her interest. Her legacy continued in Mexico for years after she retired and through her daughters and granddaughters. Her youngest granddaughter, Alexa, graduated from Mizzou as a four-year Golden Girl, the university's dance team.
Shirley continued to share dance with friends, teaching line dancing, clogging, and square dancing well into her 80's. Shirley was the life of the dance floor at every family wedding and developed a reputation for dancing to "Come on Eileen" on a table!
The only thing Shirley loved more than dance was her family, whom she loved intensely. Throughout her kids' and grandkids' lives, she moved heaven and earth trying to go to anything and everything that her family was part of; sporting events, plays, concerts and recitals.
After closing the A & W, Shirley went to work as a bookkeeper for A.P. Green Refractory for several years until retiring and moving to St. Charles, MO. Never one to sit still, she worked at WalMart as a cashier until her health started to fail in November.
In addition to her parents, Shirley was preceded in death by a brother, Walter E. Potter, Jr., when he was a child. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Bob; their three children and their families: Bob and Bobanne of Prairie Village, KS, Cheryl and Warren Sims of Blue Springs, MO, and Jill and Jeff Carmichael of Foristell, MO; six grandchildren, Chris (Erica) Kalkofen, Alarie (Michael) Ornburn, Iris (Evan) Smithey, Greg (Sarah) Sims, Zachary (fiancé Marissa) Carmichael, and Alexa (Andrew) White; five great grandchildren, Aidan, Miles, Lily, Gabe and Ingrid, with another great grandson expected in June; and her sister, Claire, and her family of three children and three grandsons.
Heartfelt thanks go to the staffs of The Villages of St. Peters, McClay Senior Care, and Seasons Hospice (Patty) for their care of our Mom these last two months.
Memorial donations may be made in Shirley's name to American Cancer Society or Sarcoma Foundation of America.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18