Shirley Brown Martin

Born Shirley Mae Brown in Dubuque, Iowa on March 20, 1927 to William and Edna Brown, her family moved shortly thereafter to Chicago, Illinois. She had one older brother, Bob Brown. Shirley graduated from Amundsen High School on Chicago’s north side in 1945. After high school she attended Blackburn College in Illinois, where she excelled in theater and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Communications in 1949. It was during her time at Blackburn that she met her future husband Robert Martin, the father of her 6 children. They married in 1950 and later divorced.

Shirley lived with her husband and children in Chicago, IL; Key West, FL; La Mirada, CA and Albuquerque, NM before settling finally in Denver in 1962 where she lived for the remainder of her life. She was lovingly known by many different names, including Momma Shirley, Grandma Shirley, Charles, Charlie von Schlarman, Sherill, YaYa, and Gammy.

Shirley reinvented herself several times throughout her life, pursuing numerous successful careers while raising six children. Starting as a bookkeeper in the early 1970’s at Timberline House, a local mountaineering store, Shirley was soon promoted to general manager of the store due to her strong organizational skills and winning way with people. She then became general manager of Mountain Chalet, a chain of mountaineering stores in Colorado.

Shirley was then able to reconnect to her passion for theater when she entered the film industry as a film production assistant. Eventually she became an award-winning independent film producer in Denver, and was appointed by the Governor to the Colorado Film commission, where she helped promote Colorado as a destination for film productions. Shirley also co-founded and co-owned a film production company, MAXX Productions. Shirley believed keeping active was the key to a long, happy life and maintaining a sharp mind. To that end, she worked into her mid-eighties as an office manager and bookkeeper for Computer Upgrades and O Marketing.

Shirley was a longtime student of A Course In Miracles (ACIM) and studied, prayed, and meditated daily. She joined her ACIM study group in the late 1990s and remained active in the group until her death. In this group she developed deep, loving and lasting friendships with members who carried her through both times of joy and sorrow. Shirley lived and believed that she was always at home with God. She always chose Love and Light.

Above all else, Shirley loved people. She always saw the best in everyone and practiced generosity and gratitude as a way of life. We will remember Shirley's wicked sense of humor and her witty jokes. She was often the life of the party and brought laughter to all who knew her. Shirley's home was always filled with family and friends, new and old, and she never met a stranger, as everyone was welcome in her home and heart.

Shirley was preceded in death by her beloved father, mother and brother; William I. and Edna A. Brown and Robert J. Brown.

Shirley is survived by her treasured children Christine Martin Norred (Stephen); Colorado City, CO, Jennifer Martin Anderson (Ben), Brighton, CO, Scott Martin (Peggy) Boulder, CO; Todd Martin (Sherry) Tucson, AZ; Brad Martin, Loveland, CO; Lisa Martin (Kris Abrams), Boulder, CO. Her grandchildren; Rachel Martin LaFond (Rob); Jacob Davis (Amy); Colette Martin Greenwalt (Chris); Sam Martin and step-grandchildren Rebekah Cordova (Joseph) and Stirling Myles. Her great grandchildren; Grace and Liam Martin Andrews; Mackenzie and Quinn Davis; Connor Greenwalt and her step-great grandchildren Benjamin and Shandi Anderson, Anna, Joaquin, Gus, and Violet Cordova.

Shirley also leaves behind her much-loved sister-in-law, May A. Brown of Long Beach, CA and her niece and nephews, Nancy Koehring (David), Bill Brown (Caroline), Bob Brown (Peggy) and Larry Brown (Barbara). She also leaves behind many dearly loved life-long friends.

A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held March 20th 2016 on her 89th birthday at a location to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charity whose work you feel reflects Shirley's generous and loving spirit, and make a gift in her memory. If you wish to give to an organization that Shirley valued, she herself regularly gave to the Denver Rescue Mission. She also received excellent care at Collier Hospice Center at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center. You are welcome to make a note of any gift you give in her memory here – so we can see her generosity spread far and wide.

“May I try each day to always look within to the love, the non judgment, the compassion to finding peace. The world has many differing opinions on all things...help me to see everyone as my brothers.” – Shirley B. Martin

“I find that humor is a wonderful tool for reaching people…true, loving humor. Sometimes I smile when alone at some funny, ridiculous thing about myself. And truth be known, I can find many funny, ridiculous things about me!” – Shirley B. Martin

SHIRLEY’S FAVORITE PRAYER

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

Where there is injury, pardon,

Where there is doubt, faith,

Where there is despair, hope,

Where there is darkness, light,

And where there is sadness, joy

Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not

so much seek to be consoled as to console,

to be understood, as to understand,

to be loved, as to love,

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)