Shirley Joan McMahon passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 of natural causes. Shirley was born January 3, 1937 to Arvella and Ival Hahn in Brookings, South Dakota. She was raised in nearby Flandreau and was the youngest of two sisters. As a youth, Shirley had a playful personality, enjoyed fishing with her Dad and playing the clarinet in the high school band. In 1958, at the age of 21, she married the love of her life, Gary McMahon, who she had known since elementary school. They were married 62 years until Garys passing in May of 2020. A straight-A student, Shirley was accepted into nursing school after high school. However, she chose to work for a bank, supporting Gary in his college and graduate studies instead. After Gary earned his masters degree in Wisconsin, the couple moved to Colorado in 1960, where they would go on to build a full life and raise three children. Shirley was a devoted wife and mother all of her life. She was gifted at designing and dressing "on a dime," and in the early years, made much of her household dcor and clothes herself. When money was hard to come by, she sewed her own aprons and dish towels, made the kids Halloween costumes, created holiday wreaths, and ironed everything from handkerchiefs to pillowcases and bedsheets. When she and Gary were invited to their first formal corporate party, she cut off her wedding dress and sewed it into a new gown to save money. Shirley was also an exceptional homemaker. Highly organized and hardworking, rarely a day went by that she didnt have the house cleaned and dinner prepared before 2 p.m. Frequently, she would wake up early to shovel snow from the driveway so Gary and the kids could get on their way in the morning. Despite her strong work ethics, she always made time for her children, and delighted in taking them to the local swimming pool in the summer and skiing in the winter. After moving to Dallas in 1989, Shirley and Gary met several couples who would become lifelong friends. They truly cherished these friendships. In particular, Shirley loved her girlfriends, with who she played bridge, golfed and "shopped till they dropped." Her favorite vacations were going back to her hometown of Flandreau over July 4th weekend, Las Vegas casino trips and Mexico beach vacations where she could soak up the sun and drink her Diet Coke. She loved her grandchildren and looked forward every summer to buying new pool toys and watching them swim. Shirley was a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Arvada, Colorado, and Church of the Incarnation at the University of Dallas. Shirley is survived by her daughter Michele DeWitt (Randy), her son Michael (Tina) and four grandchildren, Amanda and Christina DeWitt and Ellen and Hatcher McMahon, all of Dallas, TX. A joint memorial service for Gary and Shirley McMahon will be held Friday, December 3, 2021 at 3 p.m. at Colonial Funeral Home of Irving, 606 W. Airport Freeway, Irving, Texas. A reception will follow from 4:30 6:30 at The Ranch in Las Colinas restaurant located at 857 W. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas. The memorial service will be live-streamed and can be viewed at https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.phpk=1638329272151227 SERVICES

Memorial Service

Friday, December 03, 2021 3:00 PM

Colonial Funeral Home Chapel 606 W. Airport Fwy. Irving, TX 75062