Shirley Marion (née Lawler) Conley, born December 4, 1933, in Burlingame, California, passed peacefully on Thursday afternoon, March 26, 2026, at age 92, while receiving brief hospice care at her home in Helena, Montana. She was surrounded by her loving children, grandchildren, loyal family dogs, and her cherished cat, Jasmine.

Marion, as she preferred to be called, grew up in Redwood City, California, where she attended Sequoia High School. She earned teaching degrees from San Jose State University and San Francisco State University. At the time of her marriage to Richard Whiting Conley, she was a popular third-grade teacher at Fremont Elementary School in Menlo Park, California. She dedicated many years to teaching in California school districts.

After her marriage, the couple settled in Palo Alto, California, where they raised their four children: Ed, Greg, Jean, and Karen. They enjoyed a life full of adventure and family moments in the Bay Area, at Dodge Ridge, and on Maui before Richard and Marion moved to the Sawtooth Mountains. They spent many treasured decades living in Sun Valley, Idaho. In her final years, Marion made her home in Helena, Montana, to be closer to several of her grandchildren.

Marion is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Richard Whiting Conley.

Her children survive her: Ed Conley, Greg Conley, Jean Conley, and Karen Conley; her grandchildren: Jordan, Shea, Dani, Dakoda, Raina, Jake, and McGuire; and her seven great-grandchildren: Ronan, Ryan, Mac, Finn, Lia, Dorothy, and Ocean.

Marion was known for her lifelong debates on religion, politics, and women's rights. She stayed intellectually active until the very end, still debating politics in her final days and reading avidly. When she passed, she was in the middle of six books and working on several handmade picture albums, craft projects, and journals for her grandchildren. Her quick wit, cheerful laugh, and refusal to "short-change" any project or conversation were hallmarks of her spirited personality. As a proud family historian, Marion shared stories of her family's legacy and collected thousands of photos, letters, and mementos dating back to the 1800s.

Marion took great pride in her magnificent garden that wrapped around her property in Sun Valley's Northwood neighborhood. She was a competitive tennis player whose Sun Valley doubles team once won the Idaho 3.5 state championship. An avid hiker, she participated in hiking clubs and helped introduce the "lost art" of bridge to a new generation of Sun Valley card players. For many years, she actively ran four book clubs simultaneously in Sun Valley and Maui.

She is also survived by her close friends Jean and "the two Joans," along with others who made up her lasting circle of connections. Marion held a special place in her heart for her friends in Palo Alto and Sun Valley. She often reminisced about her role in helping organize "rabble rousing" trips to Pajaro Dunes with her dearest compatriots, hiking adventures in the West, cruising the San Juan Islands, and joyful family and neighborhood holiday gatherings.

A devoted mother, grandmother, and friend, Marion's warmth, humor, and love for her family defined her life. She found joy in simple pleasures, meaningful connections, political conversations, and creating lasting memories with those she loved most.

In accordance with her wishes, there will be no funeral. Memorials and remembrance services will be held later in California, Sun Valley, and Salt Lake City.