Kenda Lee Shirley was born May 28, 1942 and left this world to join her daughter and husband on February 14, 2022.  She is preceded in death by her parents Roy and Kathleen, her sister Teresa, brother Stan, daughter Kathleen, her husband of 61 years Bill, and her best friend of 56 years Pat Hope.  She is survived by her daughter Kristi, her grandchildren Patrick Utecht, William Utecht (Tiffany), Kasey Ringer (Graham), Katy Gay (Haley) and her precious great grandchildren.

Kenda’s world was centered on her family.  She loved them with all her heart and would sacrifice anything and everything for them.  She called park rangers to find her husband and daughter who took off on mini bikes and were gone a bit too long.  It could be said she single handedly kept Del-Dixie in business satisfying the hamburger dill slices obsession of her daughter then her granddaughters.  She gave her granddaughter sage advice to marry “Wisely” – forgetting to mention “Wisely’ was not actually a person.  She made scrambled eggs for breakfast while her granddaughter and Poppy played a quick card game of “Joker”.  She would go to the ends of the earth just to make her grandchildren smile.  She was the anchor of our family.  She kept us grounded and kept us close.  She organized all the family celebrations and every holiday on the calendar.  She wouldn’t ask if you were coming, she would ask what time you were coming.  She will be dearly missed by those she left behind.  She made her mark on all of our hearts and by doing so, she will live on.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – an organization close to her heart because of her precious great granddaughter.  A family celebration of this amazing woman’s life will be held at a later date.