Shirley Cheesman

1930 - 2022

Shirley Edwards Cheesman
1930-2022
Shirley Edwards Cheesman passed away in Houston on Wednesday, the 5th of January 2022. She was 91 years of age.
She was born in Houston, Texas, on the 30th of November 1930, to Edna Pearl Livesay and Harry King Edwards. She was married to Dale C. Cheesman, Jr., for 61 years until his passing in 2015.
Shirley attended Lamar High School in Houston. Of her many accomplishments, she was a Duchess in May Fete in 1946 and 1947, Varsity Cheerleader and Major of the ROTC sponsored girl's rifle team. The girls ROTC rifle team became Houston's Championship Team, where she earned the High Scorer Award and received the team trophy from Frank Clemens. She continued to be "high scorer" the rest of her life, bagging more birds than everyone else while entertaining family and friends at their annual dove hunts in George West, Texas.
Shirley graduated from Lamar High School a year early and attended the University of Texas. Rumor was that she graduated early to follow her sweetheart Dale to the University, where he was already a freshman. And as the saying goes…"She chased him 'till he caught her!" While attending The University, she was a member of the Tri-Delt sorority, was nominated and a finalist in the Aqua Carnival Queens Court, as well as being selected as one of the University's Bluebonnet Belle's Final 4.
After two years of college and the start of the Korean War, Shirley's beau, Dale, enlisted in the US Air Force. While he was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, she returned to Houston and worked for the Humble Oil Company. On the 7th of March 1953, they tied the knot, and together they finished out Dale's final two years of service in San Antonio. Following their time in San Antonio, they returned to The University for Dale to complete his degree, and then back home to Houston to start their family.
Through the years, their friend and family time was mostly spent on weekends at their lake house, beach house, hunting camp, or at a child's camp closing in Burnet or Hunt, Texas. There were also annual destination trips to visit family friends in Brackettville, New Orleans and California. Shirley and Dale also enjoyed travelling to all parts of the world with their couple friends. Shirley was a great planner and organizer, so we always joked that she should have been a travel agent!
Loving her role as a mother, she immersed her children into music, dance, gymnastics, sports and shooting. She sewed dance costumes, never missed a game or competition, and chaired most every school event and fundraiser.
Throughout Shirley & Dale's many years of membership at the Houston Country Club, she was an avid tennis player, later becoming a golf and Mah Jongg enthusiast, and enjoyed years of Bible Study and loved attending Antique Study Group with her lady friends.
Her parents, Harry K. Edwards and Edna P. Stoeckle; her brother, Milton Edwards; and her devoted husband of 61 years, Dale C. Cheesman, Jr., preceded Shirley in death. She is survived by her two daughters and two sons, Sheryl Cheesman Doyle and her husband Doug Doyle, Lolly Cheesman Erwin, John Cheesman and his wife Emily McDonald Cheesman and Dale C. Cheesman III, and his wife Stacy Scott Cheesman; nine grandchildren and their spouses, Courtney Erwin, Tommy and Lauren Erwin, Taryn Cheesman Hryc and Corey Hryc, Dale Cheesman IV, Cecily Cheesman, Douglas and Gretchen Doyle, Caroline Doyle, John Christian Cheesman and Carley Cheesman; and three great-grandsons, Tripp Erwin, Holden Hryc and Key Doyle; special acknowledgment to Janet Landry, Taylor Landry and Mary Louis Gulley; many other nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is to be conducted at two o'clock in the afternoon on Tuesday, the 18th of January, at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston, where The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr., Rector, is to officiate.
Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the nearby Bagby Parish Hall.
Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests that donations in her name be directed to St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston, TX, 77056; the Amazing Place, 3735 Drexel Dr., Houston, TX, 77027 ; or to The Alzheimer's Association, 6055 S Loop E Fwy, Houston, TX, 77087
Please visit Mrs. Cheesman's online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with her family.