Shirley Colleen Sakariason, 89, passed away Monday, March 14, 2016. She had resided at Immanuel Skilled Care Center in Kalispell for the last four years.
She was born Sept. 2, 1926, in Kalispell, and was raised by her parents in Somers on Flathead Lake, until she graduated from Flathead County High School. After graduation she attended business school in Spokane.
She married Wayne Sakariason and they had three daughters. They later divorced and she moved to Seattle, where she lived for 40 years. She returned to the Flathead after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 80.
While living in Seattle, Shirley was employed by the Boeing Company as a draftsperson until her retirement.
She was a Christian woman, with a strong faith in God and looked forward to being with the Lord in heaven one day. Her hobbies included gardening and taking care of her many cats.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William McKinley and Bernice Conine; and one brother, Wallace McKinley.
She is survived by her daughters, Charlene Ray of North Carolina, Denise Larson and husband Virgil of Kalispell, and Susan Bissell and husband Greg of Kalispell; and two brothers, Kenneth McKinley of Tacoma, Washington, and Larry McKinley of Sepulvada, California. She is also survived by nine granddaughters, 22 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
A memorial will take place at a later date this summer.