Shirley Jean Carvalho

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Shirley Jean Carvalho

Sept. 1, 1933 ~ Jan. 22, 2022

Shirley Jean Carvalho, the only child of Ethel P. and Robert T. Bourne, took her first breath on a prairie farm in Jewell County, Kansas on Sept. 1, 1933, and breathed her last on Jan. 22, 2022, in the arms of her husband and comfort of her home.

When Shirley was 12, her parents moved to Superior, Nebraska. Her father bought an 18-wheel semi and became a livestock hauler. Soon after her 16th birthday Shirley learned how to drive her father’s truck and when school was not in session she would travel with him to pick up livestock in the area surrounding Superior and haul them to stockyards in Omaha and Kansas City. Occasionally at truck stops other haulers would tease Bob about how well his truck drove while he slept.

Very soon after high school graduation, she attended Nebraska State Teachers College and became accredited to teach in a rural grammar school. After one school year she accepted a job as accountant in an automobile dealership that was financially troubled because of accounting irregularities. She cleaned up the mess and after two years decided she would rather work with people than numbers, but she never lost her accounting skills.

In 1954 she entered the Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing. On Sept. 25, 1954, she attended a USO dance at Lincoln Air Force Base with her nursing school roommate, met Gerard and married him three months and three weeks later on Jan. 15, 1955. Together, they negotiated life for 67 years and were blessed with six sons, Gerard J., Clark R., Jeffrey P., Christopher A., Philip S. and Alexander J.; and enjoyed watching their children, 11 grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, one adopted grandson and three great-grandchildren, grow into beautiful people. She is preceded in death by a grandson. She spent considerable time and energy being a foster mother and advocate for children in foster care.  

Shirley’s spiritual home in Utah was the Newman Center adjacent to the University of Utah campus from 1969-1980 and from 1998 until she left her family and friends to be with God.  A communal memorial service and a private family service will be held on Mother’s Day weekend. Details will be announced later. In lieu of flowers please send contributions to the Foster Club at www.fosterclub.com.