Shirley Heiman

Shirley C. Heiman

Longtime San Mateo and Palo Alto resident Shirley C. Heiman passed away after a short bout with pneumonia on February 19, 2015, at the age of 90.

Her parents, Anna and Harry Cohen, immigrated to the United States from Russia. Shirley, who was the youngest of six children, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She said that her family was Orthodox Jewish - when convenient. She grew up in poverty, but her mother insisted that everyone in her family graduate from high school so that she and her siblings could embark on a path to a better life. She once joked that she was so poor growing up that her family could not afford to give her a middle name (her nickname was "Cookie").

Shirley left the flatlands of Ohio for the hilly scenery of San Francisco when she was in her late twenties. She worked as a medical secretary at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Around that time, she was introduced to her future husband, Warren, by his sister, Nannette. Shirley and Warren soon got married and moved to the even hillier Eichler Highlands in San Mateo, where they lived for 25 years before moving to Portola Valley.

While living in the Highlands, Shirley was involved in many community activities. She served on various boards, including the Fourth of July committee, and was the President of the Highlands School PTA.

During her lifetime, Shirley took ballet, jazz, and tap dance classes. She loved to watch the gentle precision of dancers such as Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. She loved Hollywood and Broadway musicals, and her favorite movie was "Singin' in the Rain."

Shirley was also a voracious reader who sometimes devoured three to four novels per week. She instilled a love of reading in her children, her grandchildren and everyone she knew. Her favorite book was "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese.

Shirley defined the term "toughness" when life dealt her several difficult blows. She conquered breast cancer, endured four major back surgeries, rose above a broken hip (twice), and quickly recovered from two minor strokes. Later in life, she lost most of her vision and hearing, but philosophically proclaimed, "I've heard and seen it all anyway."

Shirley's passing was preceded by her sisters Blance, Lily, Frances, Ruth, and brother Herb. She is survived by sons Bruce and Ken, granddaughters Jan and Hilary, nieces Lynne Farber and Barbara Goldberg, cousin Rita, and great-niece Ariella. She was loved by current and former daughters-in-law Dede Heiman, Nancy Christiansen, and Ida DeRoza.

A small, private graveside service was held this week at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo. A larger memorial service will be held within the next few weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations in Shirley's name be made to Parca, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or Project Open Hand.