Shirley Stolp Obituary, Death- On April 16, 2023, Shirley Stolp of Chewelah, WA unexpectedly passed away in Spokane, WA. Shirley was born on December 14, 1960, in Osaka, Japan, and was immediately placed in an orphanage.
Shirley was adopted in 1963 at the age of two by the great Japanese-American couple Haidie and Shigeko Hirai of Quincy, Washington. On the same trip, Shirley’s brother Ken was adopted. They were hauled back to Quincy, Washington, together. Shirley would start her genuinely extraordinary existence from this point on.
Her father established a seed potato company in Chewelah after the family relocated there in 1969. In 1979, Shirley received her diploma from Chewelah’s Jenkins High School. During this period, Shirley began to fall in love with animals. She acquired a Shetland pony as her first horse after joining the neighborhood 4H club. In high school, Shirley participated in athletics; volleyball was her favorite sport. She took pleasure in playing in the high school band as well.
Shirley met Michael Love while working at Cyrus O’Leary’s in Spokane after graduating from high school. They had two daughters, Jenny and Kumiko, after being married in 1983. They first relocated to Beaverton, Oregon, then spent some time in the Seattle region before returning to Chewelah. In 1998, Shirley and Michael were divorced. Shirley started working at the Chewelah Valley Drug Store in 1993. She was the store’s longest-serving employee, having worked there for more than 30 years. She will be remembered for her genuine friendliness to everyone that entered the building, as seen by the many compliments she received from the clients she serviced.
Shirley married Douglas Stolp in November 2000. Shirley, Jenny, and Kumiko relocated to Doug’s property on Burnt Valley Road, a small farm. For Shirley, this marked the start of a brand-new chapter, and she flourished. Shirley loved animals, as was already mentioned. She was devoted to all animals. Soon after joining the 4H, Shirley purchased Cougar, her first horse. She instantly became a member and officer of the Melody Riders Saddle Club, where she still belongs today. Her next mount was Buddy. Her favorite horse was her final one, Bugs. Starting with a six-month-old colt, Shirley trained and broke Bugs to ride.
Shirley received a message from Asahi TV in Japan in the latter part of 2002. The network was informed of her adoption story and desired to include her in a forthcoming program. The main narrative of the first episode was supposed to be Shirley’s. She traveled to Japan with Doug, appearing live on national television five days later in Osaka. Shirley first met Yumiko, her maternal half-sister, at this performance. They were quite close and kept up their relationship for the rest of Shirley’s life.
Shirley lived by the adage “Why walk when you can run?” for the entirety of her life. Anyone who knew her is aware of this. You had better start pacing yourself if you wanted to stay up with Shirley. Her priority in life was her family. Her dearest pals were her two daughters, and they spoke frequently. She was ecstatic about them both. Shirley and Doug shared ownership of the property and each had authority over a portion of the barn. Doug on the side of the cow, Shirley on the horse. When one needed the assistance of the other, they could readily cross over. In order to prevent Doug from stealing the tiny alfalfa flakes that her horse ate, Shirley had to keep a tight eye on him. She complained that her horses would become overweight as a result, thus she didn’t enjoy this.
Shirley cherished journeys. Family was always involved in travel, and many local and international journeys were enjoyed by all. While Japan was unquestionably her favorite, she also just went on an adventure to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, which are located off the western coast of Africa. Shirley was eagerly anticipating a subsequent family trip to Tenerife this fall. Another one of Shirley’s interests was pinochle. This was a winter activity that was mobile and went from home to home. Shirley’s circle of close friends would regularly get together for pinochle games. She belonged to the 54 Auxiliary of the American Legion.
Her parents, Haidie and Shigeko Hirai, predeceased Shirley. Her spouse Douglas Stolp, who resides in Chewelah, is still alive. Ken Hirai, her brother, lives in Seattle. Jenny Love, of Spokane, and Kumiko Love-Dempsey, of Spokane Valley, are her daughters. Colleen Brosey, a stepdaughter from Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Cordon Stolp, a stepson from Seattle; James Ehrmantraut, a grandson from Spokane; and a large number of cousins. Shirley leaves behind her sister Yumiko Maeda, two nieces, Riho Maeda, and Ayana Maeda in Japan. Living in Osaka Prefecture’s Kishiwada City, everyone. Donations can be sent in Shirley’s honor to “Becky’s Best Buddies” at 2323A Burnt Valley Rd., Chewelah, WA 99109 or “Melody Riders Saddle Club” at 3235 Flyckt Rd., Chewelah, WA 99109.
