SHIRLEY VALENTINE

(nee Thielen) June 10, 1934 – November 6, 2025 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." - Hebrews 13:2 Born in 1934 in Lethbridge, Alberta, Shirley was the second daughter of Stephen and Frances Thielen. Four more sisters followed, and together they learned the meaning of perseverance and grit on the family farm - where, as Shirley liked to say, their main crop was dirt. Those early years nurtured a devotion to faith and optimism, and work ethic that would carry her through a lifetime of achievement. An extraordinarily gifted student, Shirley skipped a grade or two, so when she thought she was ready to move on to further her education in Calgary she was told that she was too young. Out of options, she accepted a short-term teaching contract in a one-room schoolhouse in Masinasin, while working on elocution, needlepoint, and studying German, her father's native tongue. Once of age, she returned to Calgary to board at St. Mary's Girls' School. Shirley loved science and dreamed of one day becoming a doctor. However, it was the '50s, and she was a female from a humble farm family, so instead she accepted a scholarship to St. Louis University where she studied nursing. Lacking necessary funds to travel back home from the U.S., she compressed the program into two years. After graduating with honours, she started teaching at the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary - a vocation she truly loved. One fateful weekend at church, Shirley met the charming Valentine brothers - Edward (Ted), and Doug. Family lore holds that they flipped a coin to decide who might ask the beautiful young nurse out. Ted won both the toss and her heart. The couple married and their family quickly grew to include six children. Shirley traded nursing scrubs for household triage - her high energy brood now the beneficiaries of her healing touch. Shirley loved playing and watching sports, was a passionate runner, a competitive bridge player, and a champion cheerer whose voice miraculously cut through any din. She was devout when it came to Catholicism, the Stampeders, and her family. Shirley believed pride was not a sin but a virtue - and she loved nothing more than unabashedly sharing the details of her morning workout, a grandchild's gold medal, or the latest degree earned by her offspring, with anyone who would listen. She was, by every measure, an overachiever. There were soccer moms and then there was Shirley, League Commissioner of Calgary Minor Soccer. There were parent reps in classrooms, and then there was Shirley, Chair of the Calgary Catholic School Board. There were 'Rotary Anns', and then there was Shirley, President of her Rotary Club. There were volunteers and then there was Shirley, immunizing children against polio in India and Africa. As her kids left for university Shirley did not waste a moment. She opened the doors of her home to (even more) exchange students, acquaintances, Up with People, and the occasional cash-strapped traveller. Always hoping there were angels among them – and therefore believing the potential rewards surpassed the risks. Shirley's faith allowed her to live fearlessly, truly believing any problem could be solved with prayer. In her faith, as in her home, she was always looking to grow the membership, forever offering rides to service, extending invitations to strangers, and trying to incentivize joiners. She loved little more than the opportunity to serve as a sponsor to a new convert. Being a grandmother was where she truly shone. Each week she hosted a large group for Sunday Dinner, a sacred ritual which comprised multiple courses, modified menus, and the kind of family chaos she delighted in. Everyone was welcome. It was here that future in-laws were first embraced, where cousin bonds intensified, where judgement was suspended, and where eighteen grandchildren gathered to blow out candles in monthly shared birthday celebrations. It was also here that Shirley's bountiful baking was beautifully displayed – just never for very long! Everyone who participated knew they were part of something special. Shirley understood that breaking bread together deepened connection - and this was her way of ensuring her family was rooted in belonging and love. Shirley was a strong, beautiful, devout, kind, wildly intellectual woman with a fearless lust for life. Her family are her legacy – generations who, like her, will work tirelessly to make the world around them a more loving, connected, and spiritual place. Shirley is survived by two sisters, her six children and their partners, 17 of her 18 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren (with a fifth on its way!). The family welcomes all who wish to remember Shirley to join them for Prayers on Monday, November 10th, at 7:00 p.m. at St. James Catholic Church, 5504 20 Street SW, Calgary. A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, November 11th, at 1:00 p.m. at St. James, with a reception to follow in the parish hall. Interment will take place Wednesday, November 12th, at 2:00 p.m. at Queen's Park Cemetery, 3219 4 Street NW, Calgary. In lieu of flowers or memorial trees, the family invites those interested to donate to the St. Isidore Bursary at St. Mary's University, Calgary. The bursary that Shirley established and named is for education students from rural areas who demonstrate financial need. To donate go to: stmu.ca/giving or contact: Patience.Mbwizhu@stmu.ca. Photos, memories and condolences may be shared with Shirley's family through www.evanjstrong.com.