Shirley Jean Hull

When you think of Shirley Hull, you can't help but remember her generous spirit, her math-centric mind, and of course, her ability to break into a yoga pose at a moment's notice. We'd like to think that she approached St. Peter at the Pearly Gates and immediately showed him how she can balance on one foot – even in her wedges!

Born on September 30, 1941 to Jerry and Lorena (Pekas) Soulek in Mitchell, SD, Shirley was a spirited and curious child. Her strong work ethic was shaped by life on the farm, where everyone was expected to do their part and waste was unheard of for her Czech parents.

Shirley graduated from Lake Andes High School in 1959, as Class President and Valedictorian. She attended Southern State Teachers College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1962. Shirley received a Masters of Natural Sciences (Math & Physics) from University of South Dakota in 1967. A lifelong learner, she also completed studies in stochastic processes (a specific field of statistics) at the University of California, Irvine.

Looking for adventure and better job prospects, Shirley ventured West to California in 1963. Ever the savvy businesswoman, Shirley purchased a single family home, where she proceeded to rent out all the rooms, keeping the smallest one for herself, to help pay the mortgage. Shirley taught math and science in the Garden Grove Unified School District for 44 years. She also taught at Coastline Community College. She created and implemented many innovative curriculums for remedial, bilingual, and gifted math students to pass along her love of math.

While in California, Shirley also met the other great love of her life, Christopher Hull. Together, they celebrated 53 years of marriage, first in Huntington Beach and finally settling in Laguna Niguel. Shirley juggled a thriving teaching career with being a loving mom to Sandra and Stephen. From hair styling and enjoying Sandra's ballet performances in the Nutcracker to challenging Stephen to endless games of Dr. Mario, Shirley was dedicated to and supportive of her children's interests.

In her later years, Shirley enjoyed attending church, playing bridge, traveling, taking pictures, working on crossword puzzles and spending quality time with friends and family. She especially loved hearing about her grandchildren's interests, and like any proud grandmother, extolled their virtues to anyone who would listen.

Shirley is survived by her husband Chris; daughter, Sandra; son Stephen and daughter–in-law Lynn, and their children, Trevor, Grayson and Scarlett; her sister, Regina Powers and husband Bruce; nephew Conor Powers and his wife, Selena Peng; and niece, Andrea Soulek and her children, Amaya, Alana and Ayla. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Arnold Soulek.