Shirley Jean Hutchison, 84

Shirley Jean Hutchison, 84, passed away peacefully on Sept. 3, 2014, in Coeur d'Alene.

Shirley was born on Jan. 25, 1930, in Abilene, Texas. She grew up with her sister and brother in Canon City, Colo. At 16, she met the love of her life, James Hutchison.

Shirley and James married in March of 1948. Over the next 14 years they had three daughters while living in New Mexico, Colorado and Idaho, before settling in Yakima, Wash., where they lived for over 40 years.

Shirley dedicated the majority of her life to nurturing and supporting her family. She spent countless hours cheering on her daughters and grandchildren while they participated in a variety of sporting events during their grade school and high school years. Every vacation she planned was an adventure for her entire family; from camping and fishing trips at Mount Rainier to clam digging at Westport or shucking raw oysters right on the beach while visiting the Olympic Peninsula. Her strong connection to family also included several treks back to Colorado over the years to visit parents and old friends.

Shirley had many of her own personal interests she was involved in, including bowling, tennis, bridge, cooking, gardening, swimming, water aerobics and reading. She was also an avid Mariners, Seahawks, and Gonzaga basketball fan, and thoroughly enjoyed attending an occasional game.

When Shirley decided it was time to go back to work, she chose a career as a parent educator for the Yakima school district. She spent 21 years teaching parents the very nurturing and supporting skills she had learned and adopted while raising her own children.

After retiring, Shirley made sure her dreams of traveling abroad came to fruition. Shirley and James visited several countries, and each one presented them with many wonderful memories that she couldn't wait to share with her family back home. They also frequented Cannon Beach in Oregon and the Paradise Inn on Mount Rainier to celebrate their wedding anniversary over the years.

In 2006, Shirley and James began a new chapter of their lives when they moved to Coeur d'Alene to be closer to their children where they in turn were able to provide their parents with the love and care they both deserved.

It is said, "A mother's love is the purest form of love there is," and Shirley's daughters all experienced this amazing love from the time they were born until their beloved mother took her last breath in their arms.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, James, in 2010; father Guy Groom, and mother Jennie "Berta" Wells. She is survived by her daughters Jere Hutchison, Lori Haberman and Lisa Clark (Jim); grandchildren Jennifer, Breanne, Adam, Bo and Josh; sister Betty Jo Hilgers, and brother Bill Groom. The family would like to thank all of the staff who cared for Shirley while she lived at Life Care CdA, Creekside Inn and North Star. Plus a very special thanks to Hospice of North Idaho who helped to make the last months of her life 'much more comfortable.'

A Celebration of Life gathering for all of her family and friends will be held from 2-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Lisa and Jim's home in Hayden. Everyone is invited to stop by. For directions call English Funeral Chapel at (208) 664-3143. Please feel free to sign Shirley's guest registry and view her online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.