Shirlie Fullerton Haskell

June 11, 1921 – October 22, 2018

The longest resident of Pacific Palisades, Shirlie Fullerton Haskell, at the ripe old age of 97, has now received her train ticket home into the loving arms of God.

Having lived in the Alphabet Streets 87 years, she’s set the bar pretty high and was able to pass away very peacefully in her own home, surrounded by loved ones.

The matron of our family and end of a generation, it was as if her battery ran out as her heart slowly failed from congestive heart failure. Sharp as a tack until the end, we never had to face a day she didn’t know who we were.

More concerned about us than herself, she knew she was dying and was able to say goodbye. The only tears in the room were in her eyes as we sang “Reckless Love” and encouraged her to cross the ultimate finish line to give her good testimony before our Lord.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Shirlie migrated to California with her family via ship through the Panama Canal. She became a resident of Pacific Palisades in 1931 at the age of 10, just nine years after Pacific Palisades was founded.

She graduated from University High School in West Los Angeles and married her high school sweetheart. Having her first child during World War II, while her husband was stationed at sea in the U.S. Navy, she raised four children.

A working mother for years, Shirlie was employed as an executive secretary in aerospace at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. With a love for God, beautiful penmanship, excellent editing, dictation and typing skills, she volunteered for years at the local Community Bible Study and Bible Study Fellowship. Shirlie traveled all over the world, yet, didn’t want to live anywhere else except Pacific Palisades.

Shirlie was interviewed by a Palisadian-Post reporter with an article published about “Life in the Alphabets” on March 2, 2017. Shirlie wasn’t the oldest, but rather, strongest middle child of three kids raised by a single mom in the Palisades during the Great Depression.

Folks often complain how narrow streets are in the Alphabets and wonder why they’re made that way. Well, as Shirlie said, there were no cars back then. In fact, “Lizzie,” their Model T Ford, was the first car on Fiske Street. To make it home sometimes, her mom would borrow a gallon of gas on PCH and drive “Lizzie” backwards up Chautauqua Boulevard because it had a “tip” tank.

Since her mom was a seamstress, Shirlie used to thread multiple sewing needles in the mornings before walking to Palisades Elementary School. Without a father figure, her mother allowed homeless men to come to the backdoor to wash their socks in exchange for making handyman repairs around their house.

One of the last days Shirlie walked the streets in “The Village,” a woman just passed right by. Shirlie turned and commented, “In the old days, that would have never happened. Everyone talked and greeted each other, even as strangers. Times sure have changed.”

Shirlie is survived by her son Don Haskell, daughter Jeannie Tom, daughter-in-law Shelly Haskell, sister-in-law Kathy Van Olinda, grandson Brian Haskell, granddaughter Jennie Moeller, great-granddaughter Harlie-Jayne Moeller, great-grandson Wyatt Moeller and great-granddaughter Dahlia Moeller.

Please support our family as we celebrate her life Saturday, December 8. Pre-service, with visitation over urn, begins at 9:30 a.m. and service starts at 10 a.m. at Calvary Church of Pacific Palisades, located at 701 Palisades Drive in Pacific Palisades.

There will be a courtyard “tea party” fellowship lunch to follow, in her honor.