Shirley Ann Dvorak

Shirley Ann (Alteneder) Dvorak, 93, of Solon, IA, passed away Thursday, October 16, 2025, at UI Healthcare Downtown. Private services were held, and burial will take place at Krell Cemetery in Muscatine County, IA.

Shirley was born on October 10, 1932, in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Alfred William and Beatrice (Wright) Alteneder. She graduated from Iowa City High School and attended the University of Iowa.

In her early years, Shirley's family enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. and Mexico, sparking a lifelong sense of adventure. After college, Shirley moved to Denver and later San Francisco before returning to Iowa City, where she married David Dvorak in 1957. Together, they raised three daughters.

While her daughters were young, Shirley was a homemaker, Girl Scout leader, and director at Camp Cardinal. She volunteered at the Iowa City Public Library and the Iowa Medical & Classification Center. Shirley was a talented seamstress, and knitter, making clothes for her daughters and designing couture outfits for her daughters' Barbie dolls. She was also a master cake decorator and baker, an avid gardener, a tap dancer, and was known for her elaborate papier-mâché creations.

As her daughters grew older, Shirley began working outside the home, first at the U.S. Geological Survey in the Sediment Lab and later in administration at the VA Medical Center. When her daughters left home, she opened her heart and home to international students at the University of Iowa, hosting many from Malta and Saudi Arabia.

Shirley shared her love of travel with her family, planning vacations that explored every state in the continental U.S., visiting National and State Parks, touring factories, and biking along canals, as well as visiting Canadian provinces and many states in Mexico. When her daughters were in high school, she took them on their first summer backpacking trip through Europe, traveling by Eurail and staying in youth hostels, a gift that inspired a lifelong passion for international travel in them and herself.

In later years, Shirley traveled extensively on her own, visiting China, India, South Korea, Mexico, and Europe. Among her favorite adventures were bicycling across the Netherlands and walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

She also cherished time with her close friends, enjoying Tuesday nights at the Hilltop and performing with her senior dance troupe.

She loved jigsaw puzzles and participated in national puzzle competitions with her daughter, Lisa. She loved all kinds of puzzles including crossword puzzles, cryptograms, logic puzzles, Wordle and sudoku. Her family will miss the Sunday dinners, puzzled and card games at "Neema's" house.

Shirley is survived by her three daughters, Lisa Dvorak of Solon, IA, Anne (Paul) Otsuka of Poway, CA, and Sarah Stanley of Solon, IA; 8 grandchildren, Stephanie (Jordan) Eikamp of Lisbon, IA; Diana Howsare of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Grace Howsare of Solon, IA, Jeremey (Samantha) Howsare of Earlsboro, OK, Katherine & Emily Otsuka of San Diego, CA, Jenna Stanley and Alexandria (Logan) Benion of Cedar Rapids, IA; as well as three great grandchildren, Isabelle & Jack Howsare, and Odin Benion.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, and five siblings, William and Ron Alteneder, Lois Norris, Jackie Black, and Donna Gibson.