Shirley Louise Kelley

Shirley Louise Kelley, 80, of Glenns Ferry, Idaho, passed away of heart failure on January 8, 2020, while enjoying the sun in Casa Grande, AZ. Shirley was born on December 23, 1939, to William Henry Moore and Marie Olive Moore, in Nampa, Idaho. She grew up in Nampa and received her cosmetology degree in 1958 from Superior Western Beauty School. Shirley loved her work as a beautician. She met the love of her life, James Kenneth Cole, on a blind date in 1958, and got engaged on their second night together. Jim left his career in the Air Force when they moved to Payette, where Jim worked for the Payette Police Department. They later moved to Boise, where Shirley was a wife, homemaker, and mother to their seven children, Judy, Connie, Ken, Melody, Rusty, Gary, and Tina. Jim later worked for a wholesale magazine company, where Shirley also worked and many of her kids remember skipping school to help her deliver magazines. Jim then worked for Rostock Appliance & Furniture, where Rusty Rostock introduced them both to the boat business. This was the start of Jim’s love for his boat mechanic work, which eventually led to the start of their own business, Cole’s Marine Center, in 1979. Jim and Shirley retired from the business in 1998 and moved to Glenns Ferry, ID, when their son, Gary, took over the business and continues to own it today. Shirley also spent a few years working at the local Southside Market in Glenns Ferry.
Shirley spent many years packing the station wagon and campers to ensure her children experienced fishing and camping each summer, some of their fondest memories. Most family vacations were spent at Brownlee Reservoir or on the Oregon Coast. She was an avid fisherman and could catch a fish on a worm better than any other person on the boat. She and the kids had a side worm bait business throughout the summers, and she taught them all how to catch their own night crawlers. Shirley never met a fishing pole or boat she didn’t want to be a part of.
She and Jim lived within modest means, canning their own food through assembly lines with their children and filling their freezers with fish, potatoes from Uncle Mike’s farm, and anything Jim could hunt and bring home to eat. Shirley never missed taking her children to free community events, such as annual Easter egg hunts, fish derbies, and holiday parades. Even though the family didn’t have much, she made sure Santa provided a plentiful Christmas for her kids, which meant late nights sewing Barbie doll clothes that started each October.
Some of the best times for Jim and Shirley were the many years volunteering for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, where Shirley held many positions, including running the district store and earning a top leadership position as Commodore of the 13th District. This allowed them to travel to many places and make special friends who shared their passion of boating and fishing. Shirley was a founding member of the Department of Homeland Security, as part of her Coast Guard efforts.
Jim and Shirley had been married for 43 years when Jim passed away. Shirley later married Charles Howard of Glenns Ferry, who passed away in 2011. Shirley then married Jack Kelley in 2013, who was by her side upon her death. Shirley and Jack enjoyed their local church families. Willa and AC Likes, her Glenns Ferry neighbors, became close friends and Shirley loved the Bronco football buddy she had in Willa. Shirley was a diehard Bronco fan, both for Denver and Boise State.
Shirley enjoyed sewing matching dresses for her girls, and anything else that could be made instead of purchased. She grew a new love for making jewelry and craft items in her retirement years, as well as growing vegetables to sell at flea markets in Arizona and Mountain Home, ID. She loved yard sales, too.
Shirley will be remembered as a committed caretaker for all three of her husbands until the very end. She did whatever it took to care for them, including driving many hours to and from their various doctor’s appointments and becoming certified to provide home health care.
Shirley was preceded in death by parents, William Henry Moore and Marie Olive Moore (Hall); husband, James Kenneth Cole; husband Charles Howard; an infant son, Russell Cole; brothers, Stanley, Roger, and Russell Moore, among other loved ones. Survivors include her husband, Jack Kelley; her six children, Judith Dishner (Harmon), Connie Miller (Neil), James Kenneth Cole (Ialeen), Melody Fourtner (Eddie), Gary Cole (Jenny), and Kristina McClendon (Jerry); brother Thomas Moore (Elaine), nine step children, and her many loved grandchildren and extended family. There was nothing that brought her more joy than a visit from her family. Shirley was equally proud of each of her six children and appreciated the unique qualities in each of them and their spouses or significant others.
The family will honor Shirley’s request, and hold a private celebration of life this summer at CJ Strike Reservoir, her favorite fishing spot where she and her three husbands enjoyed many fishing trips. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions be sent to the Shirley Kelley Memorial Fund, c/o Connie Miller, Icon Credit Union, 1010 Whitewater Park Blvd, Boise, ID 83703, to assist with Jack’s future healthcare. Shirley would want most for Jack to be taken care of.