Shirley Chabolla

Shirley Ann Chabolla, 82, of Montecito, CA, passed away after a long battle with cancer on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, surrounded by family and friends. 

 

Born on July 4, 1936 in Los Angeles, CA, she was the daughter of the late William Whalen and Ethel Burns. She is survived by her loving sons Col. (USAF ret.) Steven (Cindy) Chabolla, of Round Hill, VA, Gregory (Mary) Chabolla, of Alamo, CA, and Dr. David (Allison) Chabolla, of Jacksonville, FL. She is also survived by her sister and brother, Madeleine Jones, of Auberry, CA and Roger Whalen, of Montecito, CA. Shirley was blessed with eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Shirley started life during the Great Depression growing up under extremely challenging conditions in Monterey Park, CA as part of the "Silent Generation" - a label that did not fit Shirley well. She was smart, tough, independent, brave and outspoken. She was also loving, engaging, supportive and patriotic. Fittingly, Independence Day was her favorite holiday, and she loved to share her birth date with anyone who dared to ask.

After graduating Mark Keppel High School in 1953, Shirley met and married Air Force Lieutenant Gilbert Chabolla in Riverside, CA in 1956. Shirley was an extremely proud military wife for twenty-three years. During that time Gil, Shirley and their children lived in California, Texas, Kansas, Arizona, Alaska, Maryland, Florida, Louisiana, Utah, Panama and Ohio. During Gil's deployment to Vietnam in 1969-70, Shirley and the boys returned to California. Her primary focus was on raising three sons to be productive, successful, and happy. Shirley tragically lost her beloved husband in 1978 to a rare disease.

Shirley settled in Montecito in 1981, where she started another significant chapter of her life. Over the next 36 years, Shirley was active in community affairs and volunteer work. In Santa Barbara, she was engaged in children's issues and actively supported the work of CALM, the Family Service Agency, Hillside House and Transition House. In the 1990's, she volunteered to work with physicians providing health care aid in Central America. Shirley worked for several years at the Bank of Montecito - a job she enjoyed and talked about frequently. She had a love for adventure and a thirst for knowledge; she traveled the world and read voraciously. As an adult, Shirley attended the University of Utah, where she studied psychology.

For fun and exercise, Shirley was an avid tennis player. She also loved to provide instruction to novices, especially her grandchildren, hoping to hook them too. When not on the courts, Shirley enjoyed working in her garden, playing bridge, powerwalks along East Beach, and discussing politics at breakfast.

Like many military spouses, Shirley sacrificed greatly for the country, then persevered to live a long and meaningful life. She made a difference in the world, and she will be missed.

Respecting Shirley's wishes, no services will be held. However, there will be a private celebration of her life at a later date for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Shirley's memory to CALM (Child Abuse Listening Mediation) in Santa Barbara (calm4kids.org or call 805-965-2376).