Shirley Brown Cahill

Shirley Brown Cahill 1928 - 2008 Passed away peacefully on the morning of December 19, 2008, at the age of 80 in her home in San Francisco. Born in San Francisco as Shirley Thruston Brown, she lived most of her life in either San Francisco or Marin County. A graduate of the Katherine Delmar Burke School (1946) and of UC Berkeley (1950), Shirley was the first person to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge at its opening ceremony in 1937. An avid sportswoman, she excelled at skiing in the sport's early years of organized competition, finishing 5th in slalom at the U.S. Nationals and competing for a spot on the 1952 U. S. Olympic team. Her favorite ski mountains were Sugar Bowl (where she learned to ski) and Sun Valley (where she represented the ski team in her twenties). She enjoyed horseback riding until her forties and golfing well into her seventies. Shirley was a music lover her entire life; she was an accomplished piano player who spent many years playing in an amateur band and volunteering for the Children's Theatre Association. Shirley was a dedicated gardener and an active member of the Garden Club of America. A private memorial service was held on December 23rd at the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in San Francisco. Shirley is survived by her husband of fifty-six years, Richard; brother Merrill; daughter Sarah; son Patrick and four grandchildren. Donations in Shirley's honor can be made to: California Pacific Medical Center Foundation, Cardiology Fellowship Program, 1255 Post Street, Suite 700, San Francisco, CA 94109