Shirley Marguerite Kobluk (nee Herron) passed away on July 21, 2013 at the nursing care section of Rosewood Village in Trail. She was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta on February 18, 1926 and was adopted at birth by Cathleen and Joseph Herron.
At six years of age, Shirley began her education at St. Joseph Academy in Nelson staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph and operated by the Catholic Cathedral Parish of Mary Immaculate in Nelson BC. An interest in music brought Shirley into music studies by Gladys Webb Foster of Nelson, studying violin and piano. As a teenager, she became the organist at the Cathedral. After graduating from the Academy high school, Shirley began teaching piano in Nelson, and participated as a violinist or pianist at various music events sponsored by the Academy and community organizations.
On June 25, 1943, Shirley provided music entertainment during an Oratorical Contest held at the Cathedral Parish Hall, where she met Joseph Kobluk of Trail BC, who was the winning entry in the oratory contest. This new friendship led to an experience at the Toronto Conservatory of Music in 1946 where Shirley was resident as a piano student seeking a diploma as a piano teacher, while Joseph was enrolled at the University of Toronto. Shirley achieved a Teacher/Performer Diploma from the Toronto Conservatory, and a similar diploma from the London England School of Music, and became a professional piano teacher in Nelson and Trail. She also was a member of the Registered Piano Teachers' Association.
Shirley married Joseph on June 21, 1949 at the Cathedral in Nelson and became a permanent resident of Trail where she raised two children and continued piano teaching courses for children in Trail until her retirement as a teacher at the turn of the century.
One of the highlights of her life was the acceptance of an invitation by Queen Elizabeth of England to an evening reception given by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on board the Royal Yacht "Britannia" at Vancouver harbour in May of 1971. Shirley personally met and spoke to the Queen and the Duke accompanied by her husband Joseph.
Shirley was predeceased by her adoptive parents Cathleen and Joseph Herron in 1990, her father-in-law Peter Kobluk in 1990, her mother-in-law Pauline Kobluk in 1992 and her sister-in-law Betty Bohn in 1995.
Family members to grieve her departure are her daughter Kathleen Fromont of Spokane, Washington and family, her son Kenneth Kobluk of Trail and family, her sister-in-law Pauline Jablonsky of Montrose, BC and family, and her brother-in-law Michael Kobluk of Spokane, Washington and family.
A private family service will be held at a later date. Bill Clark of Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services™ has been entrusted with arrangements.
As an expression of sympathy, donations in Shirley’s name may be made to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Health Foundation Critical Care Campaign at 1200 Hospital Bench, Trail, BC V1R 4M1 or online at www.kbrhhealthfoundation.ca
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family’s online register at www.myalternatives.ca