Shirley Dawn Kincaid Walker

Shirley Dawn Walker Kincaid - our funny, quirky, independent Mom/Grammy/Great-Grammy - passed away peacefully on June 22, shortly after a recurrence of sarcoma cancer. Shirley Dawn was born in the early morning hours of May 3, 1935 in Kincaid, Fayette County, West Virginia. She was a Red Devil of Collins High School in Oak Hill, WV. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV, and was a proud Mountaineer of West Virginia University where she earned a Master’s in English. She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta and liked to brag that one of her sorority sisters was the future wife of NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West. At WVU, Shirley met Jim Walker of Mt. Hope, WV and they were married on July 25, 1959 in Kincaid. Jim was drafted into the Army later that year. While Jim was stationed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Shirley taught English for a year at Mad River High School in Dayton, Ohio. She later joined Jim in El Paso, Texas where their daughter, Dawn, was born. After Jim’s discharge from the Army in 1962, the couple moved to St. Paul, MN where Jim took a job with UNIVAC. Daughters Stephanie and Cheryl soon joined the family.

In 1965, the Walkers moved to Park Hills in the sleepy little township of Woodbury, MN. Shirley found vocations as a substitute teacher in South Washington Country School District 833 and as a writer for two newspapers – The Sun and The Bulletin. She was very active in the growing community of Woodbury as a charter member of the Jaycees, Lions Club, Woodbury Women’s Club and the Woodbury League of Women Voters – where she was honored in 2019 as a founding member and for her 50 years of service. She served with many other community organizations that at the time were just getting started: the Woodbury Fire Department Auxiliary, the Woodbury Library, the Woodbury Directory, the Woodbury Community Club, the Woodbury Theatre Guild and the Woodbury Heritage Society. She was a member of Christ United Methodist Church from 1962 until 1974 when the family transferred to Woodbury United Methodist Church (now The Grove UMC). She sang in the choir for over 40 years.

In 1979, she gave up substitute teaching after being recruited for the world of real estate where she worked at Century 21, Better Homes and Gardens and Edina Realty until her retirement in 2010. She earned her CRS and was Realtor of the Year several years. Shirley loved to read, journal and take pictures – filling over 80 photo albums. In her last years, she read hundreds of books, recording each by name, and journaled daily until her last day at home. She loved wearing her many hats, eating ice cream and rooting for the Minnesota Twins. Travel was another passion. Shirley was proud to have visited each of the 50 United States. During her lifetime she traveled to Mexico, Canada, China, Israel, Egypt, Scotland, England, Japan and most of the countries in Europe, but her favorite place to visit was always the misty mountains of her beloved West Virginia.

Shirley’s absence will be keenly felt by her family; daughters Dawn Walker, Stephanie (Phil) Huss, and Cheryl (Rick) Vatsaas; grandchildren, Dan Walker, Phillip Huss, Alex Huss, Ingrid (Luke) Amstutz, and Kristian (Erica) Vatsaas; great-granddaughter, Sonja Claire; siblings, Carroll (Joyce) Kincaid, Doug Kincaid, and Judy (Bob) Fischer; and other family and friends.

Due to COVID restrictions, a private Celebration of Life will be live streamed from The Grove United Methodist church on Wednesday, July 1 at 4pm. The recording of the service will also be available to view at a later time. See the church web site for links to the service https://thegrovemn.church/ In honor of Shirley, we ask that you wear a hat while watching the service! Interment will follow in the Woodbury Methodist Cemetery. Memorials preferred to The Grove UMC. Please send to the church at 7465 Steepleview Road, Woodbury, MN 55125