Shirley Bourquin Bradshaw

Bradshaw, Shirley Bourquin, died on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 80 years of age. She is survived by her four children, Claudia, Christina, Jeffrey, and Donald as well as seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She married L. Jack Bradshaw in June of 1949 when they were still college students and then stayed home to rear the children. They remained married until the death of Jack in January of 2006. The actual marriage was not a full 56 years because, as they liked to say, the bad years didn't count. No marriage is perfect. When the children were old enough she returned to her college studies, earning a bachelor's degree in French and a master's degree in education. She taught French to junior high school students for almost twenty years at Auburndale Jr. High School in Corona, CA. In 1988 she and Jack retired and moved first to Oregon and later to Washington, enjoying rural life among the pines. She loved traveling to Europe and studying art, language, and literature. Native French people were always amazed at her mastery of their language. They could never believe she had learned it in California public schools. The formative years she spent during the great depression caused her to be frugal. Marriage while still a student reinforced this. For a time after she and Jack had moved to Southern California so he could teach at San Bernardino Valley College they established a routine of walking to the local soda fountain once a week in order to share an ice cream shake. They discontinued the practice after they realized they couldn't afford it. Her later life was more comfortable as she and Jack lived comfortably on retirement incomes earned in their respective teaching careers. Restaurants were affordable and they could purchase all the books they wanted to read. Reading sustained Shirley in her later years until Alzheimer's robbed her of that pleasure. Even then she had a great capacity for enjoyment. She loved to laugh. Fairhaven Memorial Park