Shirlee Joan Thiebes

Shirlee Joan Thiebes passed peacefully on Saturday, January 12, 2019. Shirlee was born August 23, 1926 in Missoula, MT, daughter of Frederic and Annette (Laziere) Bedard. She attended Missoula Hellgate High School and the University of Montana where she was a Kappa Alpha Theta. A young, handsome WWII vet named Joe caught her eye which was the beginning of a breathtaking romance cumulating in marriage in 1946. This union blossomed into an unparalleled love story that canvassed the decades and traversed the globe. She was very supportive of her husband Joe, in his operation of the family business, Pacific Steel & Recycling. The summers were especially memorable, spent at their cherished Flathead Lake summer home with friends and family. Family, in fact, was the core of her existence, as she lovingly raised and is survived by her 3 children, John (Katie) Thiebes, Margo (Jim) Walesby and Richard Thiebes; 5 grandsons, Joseph (Julia), John Jr (Theres), Matthew, Andrew and Jackson; 3 great-granddaughters, Leila, Lily, and Hannah; and niece, Shelley and nephew Fred Bedard. Some of her favorite organizations were the Sletten Cancer Foundation and the Benefis Foundation serving as a founding board member. A love of young people encouraged her to support the Davidson Honors College at the University of Montana and the University of Providence.Shirlee was actively involved as well in the Junior League of Great Falls, PEO Chapter I, and a 50-year membership in Meadowlark Country Club. The epitome of class, good taste and manners, Shirlee was a “lady” in every sense of the word. She was a voracious reader, and well-versed in history and current affairs, and especially enjoyed her Friday Book Club. Taking up tennis at a young age, Shirlee enjoyed playing with her tennis group and the annual “stinky sneakers tourney” at Flathead Lake. Her love of sports began with watching her husband play football for the University of Montana and was especially proud to watch her grandson follow in his footsteps. A special acknowledgement and gratitude to the people who made it possible for Shirlee to live at home, including Kay Goulet, Carol Stevenson and Karen Macklin, the staff at Sletten Cancer Institute, and Drs. Addison and Bingham. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe and brother Fred Bedard. A funeral liturgy will be held Friday, January 25th at 12 noon at St. Ann’s Cathedral in Great Falls. A private family burial will take place at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Memorials in Shirlee’s name may be made to Sletten Cancer Institute, 1117 29th St. S., Great Falls, MT, 59405 (731-8200) and Davidson Honors College, 32 Campus Dr, Missoula, MT, 59812 (243-2541). Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com.