Edward Patrick Shirley

Edward Patrick Shirley passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 2 at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, surrounded by family and friends. He was 80.

Edward was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Los Angeles on September 6, 1938, the eldest son of Helen Adair Shirley and Gunther John Shirley. Edward spent his early years in Westwood, where he attended St. Paul the Apostle School.

Edward’s family then relocated to Brentwood Park, and Edward attended Loyola High School, graduating with the Class of 1956. From there, Edward attended Stanford University, graduating with a degree in history in 1960. Edward earned his law degree from UC Berkeley, Boalt School of Law, in 1964.

Edward was raised with two younger brothers, Michael J. Shirley and Franklin P. Shirley, and was part of a large, close-knit extended family. Edward’s grandfather, John Phelan Shirley Sr., settled in Los Angeles during the 1930s from Omaha, Nebraska, and he raised five children, nearly all of them involved with the family construction business, Shirley & Gunther.

Within this large family, Edward was the eldest of 21 cousins—a jovial and social bunch who helped to shape Edward into a good-natured and affable man, a natural prankster and schemer, who would seek out the angle in every situation.

Edward met his first wife, Heidi Wallenfels, while a graduate student in history at UC Berkeley. After graduating law school, Ed and Heidi moved their young family back to Los Angeles where they ultimately raised their six children in their family home in Brentwood.

Edward had a successful career as a real estate lawyer, making partner at DeCastro West & Chodorow and later at Cox Castle Nicholson, befriending a wide range of clients with his quick wit and quirky sense of humor.

Edward was a tall, strong athletic man, with a passion for dancing and sports. He played tennis regularly at the Riviera Tennis Club and would take his children, and, later, his grandchildren, on many ski trips over the years. He also coached his children in various sports and was a Dodger’s season ticketholder for most of his life, squeezing as many kids as possible into the family box seats in Section 29, Row F.

Edward became a Presbyterian when he married Heidi, and attended services regularly at Westwood Presbyterian Church for over 50 years.

In 1992, Edward moved to Pacific Palisades with his second wife Helene Legendre, with whom he lived happily for over 25 years. Edward loved his home in the Palisades Highlands—he enjoyed sitting on his terrace, often taking in the ocean view with a glass of wine and livening up any exchange with his favorite (off-color) jokes and witticisms.

He also loved spending time at the Jonathan Club, where, for most of his adult life, he was a regular at the swimming pool and the bar, usually sporting one of his favorite Panama hats and always surrounded by various of his kids and grandkids.

Edward will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife Helene of Pacific Palisades; his brother Franklin P. Shirley DDS of Santa Monica; and by his six children Kirsten (James) Ellis of Pacific Palisades, Jay Shirley of Sherman Oaks, Ted (Lis Ryan) Shirley of Rancho Palos Verdes, Andrew (Janelle Pauer) Shirley of Pacific Palisades, Katharine (Dustin Berkovitz) Shirley of Culver City, and Peter (Alessandra) Shirley of Culver City; as well as his 14 grandchildren: Veronica Ellis, Charles Ellis, Timothy Ellis, Jake Shirley, Max Ryan-Shirley, Nick Ryan-Shirley, Alexa Rose Ryan-Shirley, Larissa Shirley, Sonia Shirley, Zoey Berkovitz, Nathan Shirley, Ian Berkovitz, Daniel Shirley and Thomas Shirley.