Shirley May Cline
March 18, 1931 ~ April 8, 2023
Born in:
Pueblo, Colorado
Resided in:
Pueblo, Colorado
Shirley Mae Cline
March 18, 1931 – April 8, 2023
The world lost a beautiful soul when Shirley Cline passed away from this life on April 8, 2023. She was 92 years old. Shirley was preceded in death by her longtime husband and the love of her life, Richard Cline. She left behind five children. Eve Papish (Rusty), Timothy Cline, John Cline, Matthew Cline and Ellen Nelson (Luke). Shirley had two grandchildren, Chelsea Meier and Kyle Meier, and two great-grandchildren, Damion Kyro Ulloa and Devon Kashious Bobian. She loved spending time with her family and friends.
Shirley was a lifelong Puebloan. She loved Pueblo. She attended St. Patrick’s School and Pueblo Junior College. She was a proud graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder and she earned membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She was a Reference Librarian at the Pueblo City and County Library District for over thirty years. In that time she helped countless people find information and learn and grow. She loved her job and she was appreciated and loved in return. She was knowledgeable and she loved books. She loved to read and to keep up with city, state, national, and world events. She had a keenly inquiring mind and would search diligently for the answers to questions that occurred to her. She was aided in this quest in later days by Google, asking her smart speaker questions ranging from poetry to popular culture to the weather and more.
Shirley served on the Board of Trustees of the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center and was a member of the Junior League. She helped to found the Impossible Players. She was involved in the community and she strived to make Pueblo a better place.
Shirley had a gift with people. She knew how to listen and what to say to put people at ease and to calm fears. Shirley also had a keen wit and a wonderful sense of humor. She loved to spend time with her friends and she traveled extensively. She will be deeply missed.
Funeral Mass, 10 a.m. Thursday, April 20, 2023, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 2827 Lakeview Ave. Interment, Mountain View Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Pueblo Zoological Society, 3455 Nuckolls Ave., Pueblo, CO 81005 or Impossible Players, P.O. Box 1005, Pueblo, CO 81002. Online condolences, www.MontgomerySteward.com
Services
Funeral Mass: April 20, 2023 10:00 am
Holy Family Church
2827 Lakeview Avenue
Pueblo, CO 81005
719-564-2696
Graveside Service: April 20, 2023 11:30 am
Mountain View Cemetery
1315 Acero Avenue
Pueblo, CO 81004
719-564-6023
My husband Charles and I loved Shirley so much. Charles enjoyed working alongside her at the library for many years. She was wonderful with the patrons and had such a lively, positive, and pleasing personality. On the day of Shirley’s passing, Charles had an accidental fall which left him in a coma. He died on the 12th. I am keeping your wonderful family in my prayers. The world needs more people like Shirley Cline.
Shirley and Dick were wonderful, full of life people. They made their home feel so comfortable. Shirley was a wonderful librarian in a town that should be proud of its library system and Dick was, well, a trip.
I was blessed to know Shirley at the Library. She was always so nice, thoughtful, and yes, witty. The biggest smile, and helpful to all of the Library Staff, and Patrons.
She would purchase Avon, from my sister in law, I’m glad she did, so I could deliver her purchases to her home, at the Time, Dick health wasn’t getting better, and taking a toll on her, so I would try to make her laugh.
What a Caregiver she was to him.
Rest in peace, my dear friend, Google will never replace, you. That contagious Smile either.
What an incredible woman! I will always remember her smile and her warm, encouraging demeanor. I grew to know her through my teen years at the Impossible Playhouse. She played a dramatic role in exposing me to being curious about our world and exploring and learning. I don’t think I’ve ever in my life known a better listener. I instinctively knew that she was a very special human being from the start.. I am a better person because I knew her. I carry her spark forward. May she rest in power.
I can’t imagine Pueblo without Shirley Cline. I said the same when the Mattoons passed. The four of them, Shirley, Dick, Bill and Laura, I called the “Fab Four.” They were like one person. They partied together (with gusto, pass the scotch, please), traveled together, and made great shows together. And oh lordy, did they laugh together. They lived life to the max. I will remember Shirley for her deep Catholic faith and her highly enlightened, liberal views. She was a total human being. And oh yes, her wit. I tried to top Shirley many times, and almost always failed. Goodbye, sweet lady. Not a day will go by in New Jersey, your favorite state, without me thinking of you and sending prayers. The Febster, ’89 XXXXXOOOOO
Thank you for the memory.
What a wonderful lady. The Clines were good family friends and a thread through my growing up. A huge milestone in my life was the afternoon I spent with the Clines when I was 4 years old as my little sister was being born. I was at their house when I got the news I had a new little sister. Mrs. Cline as I knew her at that time was part of that clear memory.
Shirley’s elegance, intelligence and kindness was a gift to those she interacted with. She will always hold a giant place in my heart.
I send my thoughts and prayers to the Clines as you celebrate such a wonderful person.
Shirley has been a part of my life since the 1960’s. She and Dick, along with Bill and Laura Mattoon and Mary Ann and Chuck Brady were the founders of the Impossible Players, and I’ve been an Imp since 1967. She was one of the warmest people I have ever known. She had a sensitivity and a keen eye for finding the good in people, in situations, in the world. She is one of the rare truly funny people I know who do not seem ever touched by cynicism. My life is so much richer for her having been in it.
One last hug, Shirley!
To the Cline family,
Your mom will always be remembered in my heart.
I loved her when she was a reference librarian, she never failed me when I
asked her for help with my high school/university research projects.
I loved talking to her about her memories of my dad growing up.
I loved her everlasting smile.
I will miss her.
Hugs to all,
Mary Ann
Classic Corner