Shirley Skavlem, 84, of Des Moines, WA, died peacefully, surrounded by those she loved, on November 19, 2015, at Valley Medical Center.

Born November 3, 1931, to Oswald and Nettie (Vanderhoef) Olsen in Sanish, North Dakota, Shirley was the 3rd of four children, Bette (Olsen) Robinson, Glenn Olsen and Van Olsen – all raised on the prairie in North Dakota and later in eastern Montana. Her father was a Norwegian immigrant who worked as a banker.

After graduation from high school in Sidney, MT, Shirley worked as a doctors’ medical assistant for several years. She moved to Seattle in 1956 where she worked at Minor & James Medical Center. It is here she met and married Edward (Ned) Skavlem in 1960. After the birth of their daughter, Terrie Beth, Shirley continued to work in the medical profession until moving to aerospace, first at Bendix Corp. and then at Boeing . . . always stating with a smile: “I loved the patients but I just couldn’t stand working for doctors anymore!”

Shirley retired from Boeing in 1996, sold her home in Kent and moved to the Huntington Park retirement community in Des Moines. This is where Shirley bloomed – volunteering on every committee she could, serving on the Huntington Park Board of Directors, and playing bridge and golf as often as humanly possible. She always said that she just wanted to be of service to others.

Shirley learned to drive the association’s van so that she could transport groups of her neighbors to sporting events and local cultural activities. She volunteered wherever she was needed, cleaning homes, working on the Hunting Park greenbelt and assisting friends and neighbors who were less able than herself. She loved gardening, needlepoint and cross-stitchery, making many beautiful gifts for her loved ones. Shirley made many, many friends in her retirement community and her church.

She joined the Unity Church of South Sound in 2003. Here Shirley loved learning about the gentle spiritual guidance and grace of God. This beautiful knowledge brought her great strength and comfort in the coming years. Shirley was diagnosed with three types of cancers and underwent two joint replacements, but continued to be amazingly active and traveled around America and Europe as much as possible. She made the most of her daughter’s family’s far away living assignments, visiting Utah, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, and northern Europe. She enjoyed many “girlfriend getaways” with friends, always laughing and loving as much as possible!

Shirley is survived by her daughter Terrie (Skavlem) Frahm (Charles) of Basel, Switzerland; granddaughter, Ingrid Anna Frahm (21) of Elon, NC; grandson, Karl August Frahm (14) of Basel, Switzerland; step-granddaughters, Erika Elizabeth Frahm (29) of Boston, MA and Karen Skavlem Hammond of Normandy Park, WA; several nieces and nephews including Cindi and Jeff VanGilder, Tim Robinson, Anita Halstead and Kelly Robinson, Roger and Karen Olsen, and Michael-Marie and Robert Olsen; and many grand-nieces and nephews and step-grand and great-grandchildren. Shirley will be greatly missed.

A memorial service will be held for Shirley Wednesday, December 9, 2015, 3 p.m., at the Huntington Park Clubhouse, 1000 S. 248th St., Des Moines, with Rev. Jeffery Fowler of the Unity Church officiating.

Published in The Highline Times Section of The Westside Weekly December 4, 2015.