Shirley Beatrice (Spiegleman) Gardenswartz

Shirley Beatrice Spiegleman Gardenswartz passed away on Monday, March 28, 2022. Shirley was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Tuesday, July 1, 1919, to Jennie and Simon Spiegleman. Shirley later moved to Denver and attended Park Hill Elementary, Smiley Jr. High, East High School, the University of Colorado in Boulder, and Denver University, where she was recruited to start a Jewish sorority. She married Harold Gardenswartz in 1940 and joined him in Albuquerque where he established H. Cook Sporting Goods in 1939 and later Roberto's Luggage stores and Gardenswartz Team Sales, which is still serving the New Mexico community. Harold preceded her in death in 2008; they were married 68 years.

Shirley was a founding member of the Albuquerque Hadassah Chapter in 1941 and served as its first president. In addition, she served on the Board of Directors of the Chaparral Home for Unwed Mothers. In 1949, she became the first chairperson of the Women's Division of the Jewish Community Council of Albuquerque. In later years, she served as a docent for the Albuquerque Museum.

As newcomers to Albuquerque, Shirley and Harold formed close family relationships with a group of Jewish families who had also moved to Albuquerque to start businesses. The group was called the "Sewing Club"- the women would meet to sew and knit while the men played cards. The Sewing Club became family to each other, routinely celebrating Jewish holidays, birthdays and anniversaries together. Shirley was the last surviving member of the Sewing Club.

Shirley and Harold helped the B'nai Israel Synagogue expand in its early years. In 1972, they led the effort to build a new synagogue and move the congregation from its original location on Cedar St to the current location on Indian School Road. They were active members of the Albuquerque Country Club, where Shirley had a golfing group called the "Swinging Grandmothers." She once scored a hole-in-one at the course on Los Alamos, which has long been a source of family pride. Shirley stayed physically active for her entire life playing golf, practicing yoga, walking, doing water aerobics, and even "took up" cross-country skiing in her 60's.

Shirley and Harold were instrumental in establishing the Ronald Gardenswartz Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque in 2001 for which they received the Presidential Award and the Harold B. Albert Community Service Award.

The family celebrated Shirley's 100th birthday on Monday, July 1, 2019 with a wonderful party including 70 close family members, extended relatives, friends, and caregivers. Tim M. Keller, Mayor of Albuquerque proclaimed by Executive Order "July 1, 2019 Shirley Gardenswartz Day." Many wonderful tributes were made including entertainment by Shirley's niece, Judy Scott.

Shirley was a wonderful wife, mother, homemaker, community leader, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Nicknamed "the Duchess," she will be remembered as a true lady who had integrity, beauty, and intelligence. She and her husband were very involved in Jewish and secular communities in Albuquerque as well as in philanthropy. Family was very important to them and they organized many family reunions. Shirley is survived by her children, Art (Sonya Priestly), JoAnn (Philip Carchman), and Bobbi (Gary Siegel); her grandchildren, Seth, Dan, Rena, Becca, Jenny, David, and Jonathan; and her 15 great-grandchildren. She had a wonderful team of caregivers who helped extend and enhance her later years.

Funeral services will be held at Congregation B'nai Israel, 4401 Indian School Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110 on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at 1:00 p.m., followed by interment at Fairview Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to "Shirley's Garden" at the Ronald Gardenswartz JCC of Greater Albuquerque, ATTN: Emily Fox, 5520 Wyoming Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109.