Shirley Leigh Pauole

Shirley Leigh Pauole passed away peacefully on April 17, 2024, at the age of 82 surrounded by loved ones. Shirley was born to Iona and John Leigh on January 7, 1942, in Salt Lake City, UT. She grew up splitting her time between Salt Lake City and West Yellowstone, MT where her family owned and operated the Flying “L” Motel. Shirley was a graduate of East High School and attended the Church College of Hawaii for a time. She was a faithful and active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served a full-time mission in the New York, Cumorah Mission. Shirley later met and married her husband, Allan Pauole, while attending a singles ward in California. They were sealed together for time and all eternity in the Oakland, CA Temple on June 28, 1968.

Shirley fulfilled the most important job of raising children as a stay-at-home mother for over 20 years. She attended more soccer games, wrestling matches, dance recitals, field hockey games, choir concerts, basketball games, and track events than any other mother on earth. In her spare time Shirley loved to teach early morning seminary and taught for over 10 years. She was an excellent seamstress, carefully crafting holiday and formal dresses for her girls. She even opened shop with Shirley’s Bridal Designs out of the family’s home in New Jersey. Shirley went on to become a Hospice Volunteer after the family’s move to Maryland, helping many people transition to the other side. This led her to the job of Bereavement Coordinator with Hospice of Charles County where she ran support groups for grieving loved ones who experienced many different types of loss. This work was a calling for her and gave her great joy and purpose. With that job Shirley decided to go back to college to complete her bachelor’s degree in Humanities at the ripe young age of 62.

Shirley was not known for her cooking, but she was known for her orange rolls. She had a sweet tooth, a great sense of humor, a stash of chocolate in her underwear drawer, and she loved Valentine’s Day the best! She was an avid reader, a dancer from a young age, and she always knew who the killer was on every crime show within the first two minutes. She was an animal lover and had many cats throughout her life but her most recent companions, Addie and Sneakers, will miss her the most.

Shirley is survived by eight of her children Michael Kekoa (Marcie), David Kapena (Cheryl), Allan Keahi, Jennifer Pualani (Miles), Richard Kalihi (Allison), Stephanie Leilani (Brian), Katherine Kanani (Jon), and Kimberly Kapua (Andy). She is also survived by her sisters, Joan Leigh, Helene Rightenour, Jackie Ambler, and brother Dan Leigh. She is preceded in death by her first-born daughter, Dawn Lehua, and her husband of 45 years, Allan Pauole.

Shirley also leaves behind her 19 strong, independent granddaughters and 11 intelligent, kind grandsons. She earned her great-grandmother badge with the arrival of her first great grandson born earlier this year with two more arrivals anxiously expected.

Shirley’s absence will leave a deep void in our lives. Please help us fill that void by eating dessert before your dinner tonight, and definitely no vegetables because that’s what Shirley would have wanted.

Memorial Service will be Monday April 22, 2024 at 11:00 am at the LDS Chapel at 1865 S Higley Road Gilbert, AZ 85295. Those who wish to stream the service can use the following link: youtube.com

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local animal shelter, or adopting a cat or two and calling them both Shirley. Donations can also be made to Hospice of the Valley or Hospice of the Chesapeake.

Donate (hov.org)

Make a Secure Online Donation | Hospice of the Chesapeake (hospicechesapeake.org)

Arrangements by Bunker’s Garden Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com . Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com , please check our website for accurate details and service information.