Obituary of Shirley Stanko

Shirley, 80, passed away peacefully in Denver, Colorado on July 11, 2010 after a short struggle with breast cancer. Shirley was born on March 6, 1930 in Connellsville, Pa., the youngest child of Shirley Smith Sembower and Clara Jeanette “Nettie” Faidley. She graduated from Connellsville High School in 1948 and then went on to begin her career in Pittsburgh, where she met her future husband. Shirley married Walter Stanko on August 15, 1959 in Connellsville and together they had three daughters. The family started out in McKees Rocks, Pa. and went on to experience life in many exotic locations including Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Houston, Las Vegas, and, most recently, Denver. Shirley’s favorite activity was spending time with family and friends. She will be remembered for her witty sense of humor and for her ability to bring life and excitement to any occasion. Shirley had an active social life up until her final few days, sewing, glassmaking, and going out to lunch with her friends. Shirley truly never met a stranger, keeping her outgoing attitude and positive outlook all the way to the end. Shirley will be forever remembered by her children and grandchildren: daughter Barbara and her husband Ken Lovegreen and children Scott and Lindsay of Lake Kiowa, Texas; daughter Sandy Stanko of Denver; and daughter Linda Stanko of Lakewood, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her husband Walter on November 6, 2002, her parents, brother Robert Sembower and wife Bessie, and many step- and half-siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Memorial gifts may be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, P.O. Box 650309 Dallas, Texas 75265 or www.komen.org