Shirley Ann McGibbon
August 24, 1945 - June 23, 2019
Obituary
Shirley Ann McGibbon
Shirley Ann McGibbon was born August 24, 1945 and passed away on June 23, 2019. Shirley was welcomed to this world by her loving mother and father, Jennie and Angelo. As a child Shirley was a very vivacious young girl who had a older brother, Michael and three younger sisters, Janet, Kathy and Angela. Shirley attended high school at Franklin High School in Seattle and soon after met Ernie McGibbon at a school function which she was invited by a close friend. That began a lifelong romance which soon led to marriage in 1966.
Shirley first worked for the University of Washington then switched to a career at the Seattle Lighting Company which she would eventually retire from after 30 years of employment.
In the 1980’s Ernie and Shirley would acquire a waterfront cabin in the Allyn area and this location which soon became the yearly family gathering place for the family picnic. Much love and caring went into making each picnic better than the last. Each picnic enabled the family to bond with each other and grow together through the years. She truly loved entertaining.
Soon the cabin transformed to a full-time residence with the building of a new home on the property. This waterfront home soon would become a hub for many family and friends gatherings. Friends and family will always remember walking into Shirley’s cabin or home and feel as though they had been transformed to the ocean with the endless array of fish and nautical decor. She was always in pursuit of one more fish.
In 2017 Shirley would take on her greatest personal battle when she was diagnosed with cancer. She took this news with Shirley’s typical upbeat attitude and vowed to live on and fight the disease. She would fight valiantly for three years, but in the end would gracefully except God’s invitation back home. She was excited to see her mother and father again as well as her beloved Siamese cat, Dirty Face.
Shirley would not want us to grieve today, instead celebrate a life well lived for which she was very thankful. She will always be remembered as a beacon of light that shall never flicker and she truly will be missed.
We Thought of You Today
We thought of you with love today, But that is nothing new.
We thought about you yesterday and days before that too.
We think of you in silence, We often speak your name
All we have now are memories and your picture in a frame.
Your memory is our keepsake with whom we will never part.
God has you in His keeping, We have you in our hearts.
If love alone could have saved you, You never would have died.
In life we loved you dearly, In death we love you still.
In our hearts you hold a place, No one else can ever fill
It broke our hearts to lose you, But you didn’t go alone,
For a part of us went with you the day God took you home.
Love you, sister Kathy
Dear sister, It was an honor to help and guide you to your next life in eternal heaven. You went with grace and now you can rest in peace.
Tiamo,
Sister Angela
Auntie Shirley love you and going to miss you.
I fondly remember Aunty Shirley re-telling all of the goofy/funny stories she used to tell about me when Uncle Ernie and Aunty Shirley used to watch me when I was young.
Aunt Shirley will be deeply missed by all who knew her as she made such a positive impact on all who knew her. It brought a smile to my face recalling memories of her cat Dirty Face.
I love you and miss you,
Nephew Tim
To my beautiful wife we have 53 years of a wonderful marriage, I was very fortunate to marry into an Italian family and that you said yes. We enjoyed putting on over 30 years of family picnics in Allyn, going on lots and lots of cruises with friends and relatives, or just going to doctor’s appointments or shopping. I enjoyed every minute with you. We may be apart right now but we’re soulmates Forever on Earth and in heaven . I miss you so much now and I can’t wait to see you and hold you in my arms again.
Love, your soulmate husband forever Ernie
Dear Sister Shirley,
There are just no words. You left us all with so many memories that we will recall over and over again. I’ll miss our daily phone calls when you checked on me after the death of my husband George. You will be missed and loved forever. May you rest in peace – until we meet again, Love you, Janet
I cannot begin to summarize the life of this incredible women, with whom we all held so dear. As she was not just my aunt, but also a daughter, a sister, a wife, a cousin, a friend and to many of us a loving soul that affectionately touched all of our lives. Her endless generosity, loving heart, and kind nature were her greatest gifts and those that we cherished most.
Within her lived the most important moments of our lives. As to me, she was more then my Aunty Shirley, she was a storyteller, a keeper of life’s most precious moments. Even if most of those moments were occupied by the sassy antidotes of a 6 year old & her cat mittens. She truly wove a beautiful quilt of memories, taken from all of our most significant moments and pieced together with love. She unknowingly instilled in me a love of history, and gifted me with a sense of belonging not often felt so fully in this world. I don’t know if i would be who I am today without her affectionate embrace and loving presence. Without knowing it perhaps, she showed me that nothing is really lost, and that we can remain infinitely connected to one another, through our memories, and through the stories that we share with one another. Which is why I know that we will never really be apart, as she is so intimately woven into all of our own stories and those that we share with those we love. In this way, she lives on forever, as does her love for all of us.
I am forever grateful for her kindness, genorsity, and love.
We will miss you Auntie Shirley. So many wonderful memories from my childhood. You always had a smile and a hug for all of us. I am grateful that my children were able to experience your energy and zest for life. Rest in peace.
We cried hearing that you began your journey home to the Lord. God took a beautiful angel home. We miss you so much. Thank you for always making me feel so welcome in your home. Spending time with you and uncle Ernie was always the highlight of our trip. I enjoyed your stories and the laughter and the joy you brought us. Joe and I love you and uncle Ernie very much. We will continue praying for you and for uncle Ernie.
Where do I begin to express what Shirley meant to us. She was the big sister I never had, a special auntie to our grandkids. She always treated us like family! We will always cherish the wonderful memories we made through the years, how we wish we could have made a lot more!! Our hearts are broken, it will never be the same without you. Shirley you will forever be in our hearts and never forgotten .We love you and we will truly miss you!! Carlo, Angela and family. (Ti amo tanto tango)
Auntie Shirley, you were the kindest, warmest person I’ve ever met. It was always a must before I had to leave for another year at school, had to stop and visit auntie and uncle Ernie. Always spending a day talking, laughing and just enjoying the company. I will miss your hugs, your life, and your smile that just made everything ok. I love you auntie and Uncle Ernie too.
Shirley (or auntie Shirley as our three kids would call her) was truly an amazing person. She was so kind and generous with our family, especially our three kids.
They would love to be introduced to perform (sing and dance) for her and Uncle Ernie during our visits. Also Giana would love to prepare and serve food along side Auntie Shirley (and she was an amazing host).
Visits to Grapeview/Allyn will not quite be the same without Shirley there but we will certain cherish and remember all the good times we had.
Auntie Shirley, we love you and will miss you!
Shirley, You have been my best friend for over 50 years and you have left me with so many memories, which I will cherish, until we meet again! As I remember our good times and laughter, I smile through my tears! How lucky I was to be your co-worker for so many years, at the UofW and Seattle Lighting. You were Auntie Shirley to our boys, and they loved spending time with you down at Cape Horn! You showered them with goodies, which they still talk about and remember fondly.
You were truly a gift from God and a light in our lives.
Our love to you, Ernie, as you face these difficult times without Shirl by your side. I hope you can feel the love that surrounds you from all of us who love you!
Love,
Judy & Roger
My dear younger friend 🙂 I remember times spent at your parents home that was just up the street from my grandma’s (with baton & little white boots you told me I had) (can’t remember that) , being with you again at Asa Mercer Jr. Hi, the fun slumber parties we had at my house. I have a lot of fond memories that will last forever. I miss you Shirl, but know you are at peace and you’re watching over us. I look forward to being with you again some day. I think of you only with a smile and laugh. RIP my dear friend. Love you more!!
Jan
I worked with Shirley at Seattle lighting fixture. I saw her last year when I came to Seattle. We had dinner at our friends house Margaret shopell in West Seattle. I will miss her smile and her kindness. Rest in peace my friend and say hello to my husband Joe he will be so happy to see you. God will take care of Ernie. Love lonne