Shirley Choate Taylor

Shirley (Dixon) Choate-Taylor

August 19, 1943 – April 16, 2019

Shirley Choate-Taylor left this earth to be with her mother and with Jesus on Tuesday night, April 16, 2019 with family and friends at her bedside.

Shirley was born on August 19, 1943 in Dixon, California to Lucille and Robert Dixon.  She grew up in the Ceres area where she attended school and met her first husband Charles in 1957. She and Charles (Sam) married in 1958, moved to Oklahoma and then back to Ceres where their first child Sharon was born in 1959.  Shirley and Charles had three sons who followed, Charles Jr in 1960, Christopher (stillborn) in 1962 and Samuel in 1967.

Shirley always worked and worked hard.  When she was just a teenager, she worked in a snow cone stand where she continued to work until after she married, saving money for the birth of her daughter, Sharon.  She worked alongside her mother at various canneries.  Most of her career/work life was at Tri-Valley Cannery #2 where she worked many jobs including floor lady, clean up supervisor and seamer operator.  Shirley enjoyed her time working and had a strong bond with her fellow workers, many of whom she kept in touch with decades after leaving the cannery. Charles and Shirley moved to Hickman in 1973 into their first brand new house they purchased.  Shirley was so proud of her home and you could find her working tirelessly outside to make sure she had the prettiest yard on the block.

In 1979 at the age of 35, Shirley became a widow after being married 20 years to Charles.  Charles died suddenly as a result of an automobile accident.  Their youngest son Samuel was still at home at age 12, so Shirley began the life as a single parent.  She continued to work year-round at the cannery and later the labeling plant for the cannery until she retired in 1990 due to medical issues.  It was during this time in her life at the ripe old age of 47 that Shirley became a grandmother.  Shirley loved being a grandma.  She enjoyed riding bicycles and taking her grandchildren down to the drive-in in Waterford for ice cream sundaes and to the water slides to play. She also taught her grandkids the importance of work and had them share with her in yard work, painting etc., all while having fun together.

Shirley stayed single and never married for 17 years, until her daughter introduced her to Jack Taylor.  Shirley was convinced that she would never marry again after losing her “Sam”.  Six weeks after meeting Jack, they were engaged to be married and married very soon after that.  Shirley and Jack were happily married from 1996 to the time of her death. She moved to Empire where Jack lived, turning his house into their home together. Shirley often said that no one ever treated her as well as Jack.  She loved him with such vigor and depth.  Shirley and Jack traveled quite a bit around the country after they married, many times taking Shirley’s mother Lucille with them.  Shirley loved to travel and one of her favorite destinations was Las Vegas.  Shirley also enjoyed working in her yard, tending to her roses, going to antique/thrift stores and her Friday excursion days with her daughter, Sharon.

Shirley is preceded in death by her beloved mother Lucille Dixon, father Robert Dixon and brother Jack Dixon.  She leaves behind her loving husband Jack, daughter Sharon, Son-in-Law Bruce, sons Charles, Jr. and Samuel and brother Alvin.  She also leaves behind 8 grand-children (Joshua, Jeremy, Jordan, Seth, Sidney, Amber, Cody and CJ) and 8 great grandchildren.  Her grandkids and especially great-grandkids called her “Goose or Goosie”. Vivian and JoJo will miss her hidden treats and kisses.  A special thank you to Sutter Home Health, Optimal Hospice for their compassionate care of mama. Also, our undying gratitude to Mandy DeBoer, Jeff Hilbert, Tony DelGado, Ron & Jane Lopez, Marty & Debbie Mininger, Sara Baron, Veronica Valenzuela, Misha Harrell, Carrie Booker-Johns and Vickie Light.  Your help and love to mama has been unmeasurable.

Services will be held at Franklin & Downs in Ceres on Monday, April 29th at 10 am.  Visitation will be Sunday, April 28th from 2-5 pm.  Burial will be private.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.