Shirley Ann Bitterli

Shirley Ann Bitterli of Peoria, Arizona, passed away on July 19, 2025. She was born on May 12, 1930, in

Longview, Washington. Her parents were Gilbert Quincy Bannister Sr. and Edith Olivia Olson Bannister.

She and her parents along with siblings Gilbert (Jr.), Elaine, Jean, and Dorothy moved to Grants Pass,

Oregon, where she worked with her mother and her older sisters in the restaurant at the Weasku Inn,

which is now a historic lodge.

As a young woman, Shirley moved to California and worked in the meat department at an A.J. Bayless

grocery store. She then moved to Arizona to help set up a new A.J. Bayless store in Phoenix. She met

Robert (Bob) Bitterli in Arizona, and they married shortly after meeting. They were parents to two

children: Rhonda and Ronald.

The family moved frequently, but remained within Arizona. In the late 1960s, they settled in Glendale.

Shirley worked for the Maricopa County courts for a number of years. After her children were grown,

she went to college and earned an AA degree from Glendale Community College and a BA degree in

education from Arizona State University.

Shirley loved the Spanish language, and she was a tireless hiker. She had a kind heart, especially to those

in need.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Gilbert and Edith Bannister; her brother Gilbert Bannister

Jr.; and her sisters Elaine Naquin, Jean Ayers, and Dorothy Bannister. She is survived by her daughter

Rhonda Bitterli, her son Ronald Bitterli, her grandson Jeffrey Bitterli, and her granddaughter Rebecca

Bitterli Thomas.

A private memorial will be held.