Shirley Kistler

1940 - 2021

Shirley Kistler
March 1, 1940 - Jan. 4, 2021
Resident of San Jose
Shirley was born in Holdrege Nebraska on March 1st 1940 to Harlan and Evelyn Gates. At the age of 2 the family moved to Hastings Nebraska where Shirley grew up. She loved music and became an accomplished clarinetist playing in the Hastings symphony orchestra as a high school student. She also was very active in 4-H where she won a trip to Chicago for the National 4-H Club Congress. When she was a sophomore at Hastings HS she won the Nebraska State Cherry Pie baking contest and represented Nebraska in the national finals in Chicago where she finished 4th. She graduated from Hastings High in 1958 having achieved a perfect record of receiving nothing below an A in any class from 7th to 12th grade. Shirley participated in many organizations such as band, orchestra and student council where she was the student body secretary as a senior. She received many awards, accolades and scholarships upon graduation. She then attended the University of Nebraska where she continued her academic and extracurricular success including being the President of her dormitory. She majored in Home Economics and graduated magna cum laude in 1962. Following graduation she attended the University of Minnesota completing a one year internship to become a Registered Dietitian. In 1963 Shirley married her high school sweetheart Dick Kistler. Dick and Shirley moved to Minneapolis where Dick was employed by Univac and Shirley returned to the University of Minnesota Hospital where she was the dietitian in charge of the main kitchen. In 1966 she and Dick moved to Santa Maria California where her two daughters Kim and Katrina were born. Shirley then dedicated her life to raising them. The family moved to their current home in San Jose in 1973. She spent many years shuttling the girls to their various activities. She enjoyed playing bridge and participated in several groups. She spent 19 ½ years volunteering in the kindergarten at the neighborhood elementary school and also spent over 25 years working at our neighborhood precinct for all the local, state and national elections. Everyone in the neighborhood knew her. In her fifties she started taking water color painting classes and discovered a hidden talent for art. She fell in love with painting and even travelled to France twice with painting groups. She painted many wonderful paintings that adorn the walls of our family's homes. Shirley has been a member of the Stone Presbyterian Church in Willow Glen for the past 25 years where she served as a Deacon and was a long time member of the finance board. Shirley's smile was infectious and everyone who met her loved her and remembered her smile. In 2009 she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and battled it for the past eleven years. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Rusty. She is survived by her sister Marcia of Waxhaw NC, her husband of 57 years Dick, and her loving daughters Kim Bradshaw and her husband Dennis and Katrina Figueira and her husband David. Additionally she is survived by the two bright lights of her life her grandchildren Caleb and Eliana Figueira. Kim and Katrina say she was the best mom and grandma that God ever made. Contributions can be made in her memory to The Michael J Fox Foundation to fight Parkinson's Disease. A celebration of life will be held later when it's safe for everyone to gather together.


View the online memorial for Shirley  Kistler