Shirley was born on March 11, 1941 to Velma and Troy George in Indio California. She is survived by the following: Husband - Millard Blancaflor; Children - Tami Adams and Dawn Blancaflor (son Billy Blancaflor deceased May 5, 2007); Sister – Sandy Arreola: Grandchildren - Angele Adams, Johnny Adams, Briana Blancaflor, Aubrey Martinez, Tania Blancaflor, Connor Blancaflor Woods and Jacob Blancaflor Woods; Great grandchildren; Kai Adams, Ella Adams, Kayson Adams, Karys Adams, Jacob Martinez, Jealiana Martinez, and Kaylee Blancaflor.
Shirley grew up in Gardena CA spending a lot time with her siblings, most often with her sister Sandy. A lot of her time was spent at the pool playing and competing in synchronized water ballet. She was an excellent ballet swimmer and her team won many competitions.
She met the love of her life, Millard, at the Hitching Post in Gardena, CA. Millard saw Shirley across the room and said to his friend “Wow, who is that chick?” and they have been together ever since that night. Every week, Millard and Shirley could be found on the dance floor at Hitching post. They became quite famous for two things; (1) The couple that would light up the dance floor; and (2) The couple that shared one beer all night long, aka “the Cheapies”. One night while out dancing, hands on her hips, Shirley said “Millard, are you going to marry me or what? I won’t keep doing this.” The following weekend they drove to Las Vegas. They married on August 4, 1962 and shared a lifetime of love, happiness, and adventure.
Shirley built a remarkable life and her family was at the center of it all. Millard and Shirley started their family in San Pedro, then moved to Mission Viejo in 1974 and never left.
Their life was filed with adventures. Early on, they spent family weekends camping at Huntington Lake. Mom spent most of the time trying to keep the tent clean, which was impossible with three kids. Camping later turned to sailing. While Shirley did not always enjoy being co-captain, she toughed it out, and spent several weekends acting as Captain while Millard took naps on the boat. Most of Shirley’s vacations were spent with her family. They spent time snow skiing traveling to multiple ski destinations, water skiing and house boating on Lake Powel, Thanksgiving in Sedona, and Christmas in Idaho. Of course, Millard and Shirley spent a lot of time enjoying the magic of Maui with family. Shirley even overcame her fear of the ocean and learned to snorkel in the beautiful bays of Maui. When her daughter took up whitewater kayaking, Shirley even rafted Class III and IV rivers.
One of Shirley and Millard’s extraordinary adventures took them to the Philippines in 1975. For two months, Shirley spent time in the jungle, on rice terraces, living on the Blancaflor family farm, traveling to remote villages, staying in nepa houses built over the water, and eating things she did not know were edible. The family in the Philippines fell in love with Shirley and often asked when she was coming back. As a part of this adventure, Shirley and family also visited Taipei, Hong Kong, and Japan.
Shirley was an amazing athlete all her life. Before women even competed in sports, Shirley was on the local swim and dive team. She later played volley-tennis, joined a league, and competed weekly. She took up snow skiing and golf later in life and mastered both sports. Her true athletic passion was tennis. Shirley was an excellent tennis player. She and Millard often played each other and there was no telling who would win! She later joined a women’s tennis league and she played competitively all over Orange County. After Shirley retired, you would often find her on the tennis court either beating her opponents or making them laugh, usually both.
Between careers, Shirley took time off and bought a horse, Mandy. Shirley loved horses and spent her free time at the stables with Mandy. Mandy was a Thoroughbred and took a lot to manage but Mandy and Shirley got along beautifully. Millard new nothing about horses. In fact, he was afraid of horses. Shirley taught Millard all he needed to know - how to clean the stable, pick Mandy’s hooves, and give her a bath (all the glamorous jobs). Millard came to love Mandy as much as Shirley did.
Shirley didn’t just love horses, she loved all animals and her pets were always part of the family. Shirley and Millard always had a 4-legged member of the family. When Millard and Shirley first met, they had Babette, a miniature poodle and their first baby. They later had Sundance (Collie), Pokie (Lab mix), Geronimo (fluffy cat), Mertle (turtle), Spade (lab mix), Cali (calico cat). Shirley loved her animals so much she even let her granddaughter’s dogs have their own spot at the kitchen table.
While Shirley dedicated herself to her family, she also had a remarkable career. She was the best typesetter at Palos Verdes News often working through the night to make sure everyone got their newspaper in the morning. She later began a new career at Allergan Pharmaceuticals. She started as a file clerk but that did not last long. She was quickly recognized as a super-star. Through determination and hard work, Shirley was promoted to Clinical Research Scientist managing nation-wide research studies that improved people’s lives across the country. She retired from Allergan with a distinguished career, loved, and respected by all her co-workers.
Shirley was truly a radiant person. She touched the lives of everyone she met. She was the life of every party, dazzling the room with her sense of humor and laughter. Her smile would light up the entire room and everyone felt her warmth. Shirley was a tiny person but with a heart so big, it touched the stars. Shirley is in heaven dancing, riding Mandy, telling jokes, and sharing her beautiful smile with everyone she meets. She will be missed but her memory lives in our hearts forever.
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