Anne Shearer was mother to her 12 children, the neighbor kids and the friends of her kids and grandkids.
“It was as if she had a responsibility to love every child she saw,” said Ann Himel, a friend of the family.
Shearer, who died Friday at age 85, was described as the best spaghetti cook in town, a skilled gardener, seamstress, a family mediator and someone who “always seemed genuinely happy to encounter another person,” said Himel, of Littleton.
Shearer lived almost all of her adult life in Edgewater. She “revved up the family” for gatherings at nearby Sloan’s Lake, in the mountains or on the patio (for waffles), said daughter Tina Shearer of St. Louis.
She was happy to give advice, and that included suggestions to vote for Democrats.
She and her husband, Carl J. Shearer, worked at polling stations and often went door to door to drum up support for candidates.
At various times, Shearer worked as a secretary for the AFL-CIO, the United Food and Commercial Workers union and the Colorado Labor Advocate.
“My wedding reception was at the AFL-CIO hall,” Tina Shearer said.
But mostly, Anne Shearer was “the control center” for her family, Tina Shearer said, making sure her kids and grandkids kept in touch with one another and gently prodding the feuding ones to make up.
Tina Shearer remembers times when siblings were on the outs and “you’d go to Mom’s and surprise! There would be the sister you didn’t want to see.”
Family members said Anne Shearer’s goal was to “celebrate life” and help others do the same.
“I will always remember her like sunshine and flowers: bright, cheerful and pink,” said granddaughter Julie Smith of Colorado Springs.
Anne Stahl was born in Denver and graduated from North High School. In 1942, she married Carl Shearer of Edgewater. The two had met when they were in grade school. He worked at Gates Rubber Co. and was a huge fan of University of Colorado teams.
“Many of us went to CU,” said Tina Shearer. “It never crossed our minds we could go anywhere else.”
In addition to her husband and daughter, Anne Shearer is survived by six other daughters: Carla Madison of Firestone, Cathy Adeli of Evergreen, Roberta Shearer of Edgewater, Lisa Shearer Cooper of Boulder, Betty Montague of Colorado Springs and Terry Dalvell of Davis, Calif.; four sons: David Shearer of Hilo, Hawaii, Joshua Marchand (Robert Shearer) of Dallas; Carl Shearer of Santa Fe and Charles Shearer of Lakewood; 41 grandchildren; and 46 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a grown son and two infant children.
Staff writer Virginia Culver can be reached at vculver@denverpost.com or 303-820-1223.
