Shirley Festervan

Shirley “June” Festervan, 71, passed away on June 28th, 2024, in Shreveport, LA, surrounded by the family she loved so dearly.

June was born July 16, 1952 in Hemphill, TX. She was raised by Shirley Mae and James Lambert. She was a graduate of Woodlawn High School in Sheveport, LA. From a young age, she was a “momma hen,” always looking after her two younger sisters, Lydia and Sam. She married Wesley Festervan in 1978, and they raised five kids together: Dorothy, Eddie, Jamey, Keith, and April. While in high school, she started working and never stopped. 

When Wes hit 90 days at General Motors, he told her to quit her job so she could begin her dream of going to nursing school, all while raising those five kids. She graduated nursing school from Northwestern State University and absolutely loved her nursing career. She was employed by Willis-Knighton North for 32 years at the very same hospital where she took her last breath.

She left a legacy at that hospital, advocating for her patients and staff in a way that won’t soon be forgotten. June loved the Lord and was a member of Christ Lutheran Church. June loved her big family and one of her biggest prides was that it kept growing. On the birth of her first grandchild, she officially became “Maw Maw” to everyone. She fiercely loved her family: she looked forward to family vacations, especially their trips to Lake Greeson in Arkansas and she loved Sundays, because after church was “Family Dinner Day,” where the whole family would come out to eat the great food that she and Paw Paw cooked and enjoy the day full of love and laughter.

Maw Maw had lots of hobbies: she loved fishing, sewing and crafts, cooking and baking, but her biggest hobby was attending every event of all her grandkids and great-grandkids, even if that meant getting out in 100-degree weather, and even if she wasn’t invited.

June is survived her husband, Wes; children Dorothy Smith, Eddie (Yvette) Festervan, James (Dawn) Maples, Keith (Sharon) Festervan, and April (Glynn) Stewart; grandchildren Kirstin Herndon, Jerry Smith Jr., Destiny (Tyler) Tarver, Kelsi (Ben) Hoffnung, Derienne Copeland, Brittany Shaw, Hunter Festervan, Ariel Festervan, Devin Festervan, Tristan Stewart, Balyn Stewart, Aliyah Maples, and Alanea Maples; and great-grandchildren Juliana, Paisley, Killian, Walt, Wesley, Ellie, Winston, and Milo.

Honorary pallbearers will be Hunter and Devin Festervan, Tristan Stewart, and Ben Hoffnung. 

Pallbearers will be Jim Metzger, AJ Tucker, Paul Kennedy, and Mark Meshell.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, Louisiana from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Funeral services will be held at Rose-Neath Funeral Home on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. with a graveside burial to follow at Centuries Memorial Park Cemetery.

A very special thank you to Dr. Jackson, Dr. Bryn, and Kristy Cory for their many years of care and compassion. Thank you to Tory Dove for years of home health, and last but certainly not least, thank you to Elizabeth and the nursing staff of Willis-Knighton 2 North for their love and care in her final days.