Shirley Sietsema of Merced passed away peacefully on January 14, 2024 at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto from surgical complications after a long battle with cancer. She was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. She was the third and final child born to Manuel and Helen Batista. Manuel was an immigrant from Cabra, Portugal. Helen and her siblings had grown up in an orphanage in Roundup, Montana. Shirley is predeceased by both of her parents and her older brothers, Don and Bob, all of Great Falls.
Upon graduation from high school, she married twice. Oldest son Tom was born into the first marriage, and son Jeff was born into the second marriage. In 1966, they moved to California, living in the San Jose area initially, and then moving to the farming community of Greenfield in the Salinas Valley. Shirley was elected to the Greenfield Elementary School Board and served a term as its President. She divorced again and went to work for Universal Foods (a vegetable dehydration facility) in their quality control lab, eventually becoming the department’s supervisor.
While working at Universal Foods in 1981, she met a production supervisor, Allen Sietsema, from the company’s Rogers Foods dehydration facility in Livingston. Their chemistry was instant and eventually led to their marriage in January 1985. They established a new home in Merced.
Shirley then went to work for Crane Walnut Orchards, a new walnut shelling facility in Gustine, eventually becoming the plant manager. When the facility was sold to John B. San Filippo & Son in 1993, Shirley’s management role expanded as she oversaw the plant and field operations, and the plant’s doubling of size.
Not too long after, the San Filippos asked Shirley if she would represent the company at the world’s largest food trade show in Paris, France. She was more than happy to oblige. Eventually, she became the Director of International Sales of the company’s newly formed international division. It was her dream job. She grew the new division’s sales exponentially while traveling to all five of the world’s continents, prior to her retirement in 2013.
Travel was a central component in Shirley and Allen’s marriage as well. It was their “juice”. They traveled annually. And after retirement, they took multiple trips each year. They were especially fond of ancient ruins (Machu Pichhu, Chichen Itza, the Roman Forum, Stonehenge), Caribbean and Central American beaches, and the wild animals of central and eastern Africa. Along the way, they met couples from other parts of our country who would become repeat travel partners and lifelong friends.
Shirley had an outgoing and friendly disposition. She was fun to hang out with. She had a million-dollar smile, and a quick wit and sense of humor that was welcoming to others. She was also fiercely loyal to causes and people she believed in and was not afraid to stand up for what she felt was right.
Shirley’s greatest joy in life came from spending time with family. Spending times with sons Tom and Jeff and their families, her Montana family, and her Sietsema family were the best. She adored her seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. They were all very special to their Nana.
She is survived by her husband Allen, sons Tom McGuire (Kim) and Jeff Bobbett (Christine), grandchildren Aaron (Kristan), Jeffrey (Kristen), Kayla (Chris), Michelle (Olivier), Amanda (Luis),
Kristen, and Kaitlyn, and great grandchildren River, Leah, Ripley, Geordi, Brody, Alessio, Charles, Allegra, and Aurelien. She is also survived by her dear mother-in-law, Agnes Sietsema, her sister-in-law Laurie and husband Gary Arzamendi, sister-in-law Burnette Batista, seven nieces and nephews, and some very close girlfriends.
Allen and the immediate family wish to express our sincere appreciation to our dear friends and extended family who offered so much support and prayers for Shirley during her extended battle with cancer. We are humbled and eternally grateful.
A Celebration of Her Life will be held on Monday, March 11, 2024 at 11:00 am at Christian Life Center, 650 E. Olive Ave., Merced, CA 95340
