Shirley Kathleen Tendick

March 5, 1929 - November 30, 2023 Shirley Kathleen Tendick, the second daughter of English-born parents, Frances and Cornelius Kelly, was born and raised in Los Angeles. Graduating from Washington High School, Kathleen went on to UCLA to earn her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Chemistry, at a time when that was an unusual accomplishment for a woman. One of her lab partners' friends was a Biology major named Barton Tendick, with whom Kathleen came to share a wonderful marriage of over seventy years, with two delightful children, Sarah and Patrick.
Kathleen went on to become a professor of Chemistry and Chairperson of the Department of Chemistry at Los Angeles Harbor College, where she was known for her teaching skills, her kindness and devotion to her students, and her insistence on high standards. She and Bart, lovers of birds, tide pools, and the native landscapes of California, were active in founding the Madrona Marsh Nature Preserve in Torrance. They devoted extensive time and energy as volunteers for the United Nations Association gift store in San Pedro.
Kathleen and Bart shared an endless curiosity and sense of adventure throughout the years, and after retirement, traveled all over the world.
In her last years, Alzheimer's Disease overtook Kathleen, but she remained a pleasant and loving person. She lives on, fully her outstanding self, in the memories of Bart; her surviving child, Patrick; her dear grandchildren, Rebekah, Leah, and Sean; her five great-grandchildren; and her nephews and nieces, who loved and admired her.