Shirley Mae Elizabeth Spalvieri

Shirley Mae Elizabeth Spalvieri was born March 4, 1931, in Ashtabula, Ohio to Otto and Alma (Luoma) Alvari of Finnish descent.

Named after the late, great child actress, of that time period, Shirley Temple, she loved life and always had a special bond with both family members and many special friends. She passed away Dec. 12, 2022, in Altadena, California at the age of 91.

Shirley moved to Niles, Ohio at a very young age during the Great Depression where she went to school and graduated from Niles McKinley High School in 1949, while playing alto saxophone in the Marching Band. She attendedWittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio and later, while raising 4 children with her devoted husband of 63 years, Gino Martin Spalvieri, Shirley completed her four year college bachelor’s degree in education at Youngstown State University. Shirley then went on to teach first grade for 27 years in the Howland, Ohio school system just outside of Warren, Ohio. The highlight of her brilliant and devoted teaching career came when she was nominated and won the prestigious Newsweek Magazine’s Sallie Mae “Teacher of the Year Award” in 1991!

Following her retirement from teaching, Shirley and GinomovedfromNilestoGrove,Oklahoma,onGrand Lake for seven years before moving to Salem, Ohio, after her generous donation of a kidney to youngest daughter Carol in 1997. The couple later moved to Chandler, Oklahoma, in 2009 to be centrally located between children and grandchildren living in Ohio, Florida, and California, besides Oklahoma.

In addition to spending and enjoying time with her children and grandchildren, and besides having a natural talent and knack for family cooking and baking, Shirley was an avid reader and letter writer, loved sewing, cross stitch and needle point, while keeping up with organizing multiple family photo albums and scrap books. She also established and kept an impressive, exquisite postage stamp collection as one of her favorite hobbies, which she started many years prior, while her dad (Otto) was a US Postal mail carrier.

Shirley also enjoyed watching all sports and following her kids and grandchildren in sports activities throughout her adult lifetime. Likewise, she truly enjoyed watching figure skating and gymnastics as her favorites at every opportunity and in later years became perhaps, the biggest fan of “Dancing With The Stars,” as she never missed a show.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Gino Martin Spalvieri and parents Otto and Alma Alvari. Survivors include two sons and a daughter-in-law, Jerry Martin and Tenia Spalvieri of Chandler, Oklahoma, and Dennis Anthony Spalvieri of Leetonia, Ohio; two daughters and sons-in-law, Janet Marie and Paul Hill of Altadena, California, and Carol Sue Kenny and Dan Seybert of Cape Coral, Florida; five grandchildren and spouses, Jeremy Martin and Randi Spalvieri of Oklahoma City, Kayla Marie and Zack MeyerofKingfisher,Oklahoma,RachelSueandCody Jackson of Palm Beach Garden, Florida, Brian James and Stephanie Hill of LosAngeles, California and Erin ReneeHillandGavinHuntofLosAngeles,California; eight great-grandchildren, Camden Richelle, Conley Mae, and Jace Martin Spalvieri of Oklahoma City; Kruz Alan, Kinlyn Marie, Kyze Martin, and Karstyn Faith Meyer, of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and Luna Blu Hill of Los Angeles, Califiornia; and other relatives and many, many friends.

A private family gathering memorial is scheduled for Sunday, Apr. 7, in Chandler for remembrance of Shirley and all of her life accomplishments.