Shirley Pfaffle Fowler

Shirley Pfaffle Fowler of Route 7 died March 31, 2017 at 2:00 PM. She was born in Walla Walla and had attended Green Park Grade School, Walla Walla High School, University of Oregon at Eugene, and Washington State College at Pullman.

In March 1952 she married Billy G. Fowler, and later divorced him.

In 1965 she was honored as Woman of the Year by Blue Mountain Riders and was presented a trophy for her participation in the many activities of the riding group, for which she had also served two years as Secretary-Treasurer as well as on various committees of the organization. She had ridden horses since she was a small child on her father’s ranch at Cottonwood Canyon in the Blue Mountain foothills about 12 miles from Walla Walla in Oregon.

She was engaged to Richard Roth at the time of his death in a plane crash in 1974.

In 1983 she was the first woman at the Walla Walla District Office of the Corps of Engineers to receive the Decoration for Meritorious Civilian Service from the Chief of Engineers in Washington, DC, presented by the Colonel Robert B. Williams, Commander of U.S. Army Engineer District, Walla Walla. When she retired in 1985 she had the distinction of having served as Secretary to 12 U.S. Army Colonels, the Commanders during her 35 years as a Government employee. She received numerous outstanding and sustained superior performance awards from them.

For many years she worked on the Chamber of Commerce Committee that planned the annual Secretaries Day luncheon.

She enjoyed modeling clothing several times on cruise ships in the Caribbean and Hawaiian Islands and annually at the local Engineer Wives Club Fashion Shows. She also enjoyed designing and making her clothing and accessories. Swimming was another favorite activity, as were dancing and riding horses.

She served several years on the Prayer Chain of Pioneer United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her daughter, Teresa Diane Fowler of Anchorage, Alaska, and was preceded in death by her brother, Clifford, in 1953; father, Frederick, in 1964; and mother, Emma, in 1984.

A graveside service will be held at Mountain View Cemetery on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 1:00 PM, Reverend Tom Telfer, Officiating. Memorial Contributions may be made to Providence St. Mary Regional Cancer Center or Walla Walla General Hospital Public Education Seminars through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W Alder St., Walla Walla, WA. 99362. Friends and family are invited to sign the online guest book at www.herringgroseclose.com