Dorothy Jean (Howe) Shive

Dorothy Jean (Howe) Shive, 86, of Keller, Texas went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. Known to her family as “Grandie”, she was a devoted and faithful wife, mother, sister, daughter, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was born at home on a dairy farm in Nebo, Oklahoma on January 22, 1936 to Samuel Francis and Mozelle Howe. As a young girl, she attended school in a two-room schoolhouse in Nebo, Oklahoma and went on to Sulphur High School. She met the love of her life, Richard Shive, while attending Oklahoma A&M University and they were happily married for 64-and-a-half years.

After marrying, they lived in Grand Isle and New Orleans, Louisiana where they started a family and made lifelong friends. Their next stop was Houston, Texas, where they made their home for the next 47 years. Soon after settling in Houston, Dorothy finished her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education at the University of Houston while raising two young children. Dorothy was a natural and gifted teacher and spent several decades teaching at public and Christian schools, being named her district’s Teacher-of-the-Year in 1994.

Dorothy was a steadfast Christian. She faithfully attended worship, taught Bible school, volunteered at VBS, and modeled a joyful life of service for all who knew her. The lyrics of old hymns were etched on her heart and, even when other words failed, she knew these from memory.

Dorothy loved being a homemaker and hostess, building special friendships along her journey. She especially loved her group of girlfriends from High School that called themselves the “Nasty Nine” (and might have been the “Nasty Ten” on occasions). These ladies stayed in touch with many letters, phone calls, trips, and get-togethers. Grandie loved to celebrate and used any occasion as an excuse to have themed decorations, snacks, and entertainment. Everyone knew they were always welcome at Grandie & Poppie’s house.

She loved Nebo, Oklahoma and valued her upbringing in that community of God-fearing, hard-working people. Rather than lose touch, Dorothy strengthened her ties to Southern Oklahoma throughout the years. There were many long drives back and forth from Houston to Oklahoma over a weekend to see family. She exhibited her commitment to Nebo by lovingly restoring the two-room schoolhouse of her youth. Our family loves to be at The Schoolhouse for weekends at the ranch, holidays, family reunions, proposals, cookouts, hayrides, and good clean fun. Anyone who visits and signs the Big Chief Tablet guestbook is part of Dorothy’s lasting legacy.

Dorothy’s greatest joy was having Camp Kingwood for her five granddaughters, who are each so proud to be one of “Grandie’s Girlies”. Camp Kingwood came with a regimented schedule, including play school, where there were assignments and book reports, cookie baking with precisely pre-measured ingredients and sewing lessons. She loved to read, and books were special to her. Grandie had a tradition of giving book bags to the granddaughters every Christmas. They treasured these special gifts of books, games, and toys picked out specifically for each of them. Dorothy could often be found in the kitchen with her granddaughters, listening to 90’s country music. She even wrote, designed, and printed two cookbooks for her granddaughters with her favorite recipes, special memories, and cherished photos. These “Grandie’s Gleanings” cookbooks hold a special place in the heart of each of her granddaughters.

Dorothy was an experienced world traveler, visiting China, the Holy Lands, South America, Hawaii, and her daughter Juli and her family in places like Norway, Holland, and western Europe. In 2011, Richard and Dorothy moved to Keller, Texas to be near their children and grandchildren, where they quickly made special friends in their neighborhood and with their church family.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her mother, Mozelle Howe, her father, S.F. Howe and her beloved husband, Richard Shive. She is survived by her brother, Pat Howe and his wife Marilyn, of Nebo, her daughter Juli Findley and her husband David, and her son Chuck Shive and his wife, Lisa. Dorothy is survived by her granddaughters - Christie Long and husband Jim, Katie Carnes and husband Austin, Sarah Games and husband Dave, Mary Reeves and husband Ben, and Laura Riscky and husband Pete. Dorothy is survived by six (soon-to-be eight) great-grandchildren - Findley and James Long, Lochlan, Zoë and baby boy Carnes, June and Clark Reeves, and baby girl Games.

A funeral service will be held Tuesday, August 30th at 2:30 pm at Crossway Church, located at 2108 W. Broadway in Sulphur, Oklahoma. A memorial celebration honoring Dorothy’s life will be held Thursday, September 1 at 6:30 pm at Legacy Church of Christ, located at 8801 Mid Cities Boulevard in North Richland Hills, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial tributes be made in the form of donations to Body & Soul Ministries (Body & Soul Ministries (body-and-soul-ministries.org) or the children’s section of your local library.

The family would like to thank Mom’s caregivers that embodied Christ’s love. They greatly assisted us along Mom’s journey; Visiting Angels, Encompass Health, the staff Stonecreek, the kind souls at The Cottage along with Pam Matijevich, PA-C.