Rocky beginning led to a happy, fulfilling life

Elia Powers

New Year’s Eve wasn’t wild around the Shirar household.

It was more like a weekday night, remembers Stella Worden. That’s

because the next morning was the Rose Parade, and her father, Cecil

Henry Shirar, would be up before 4:30 a.m. to fulfill his duties as

honorary director of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

“He loved the festivities,” Worden said. “It was a chance for him

to see his old buddies and socialize with everyone. It was the

highlight of his year.”

A 46-year resident of Newport Beach, Shirar died May 3 at age 92.

Born in Houston, Shirar was one of 12 children. By the time he was

1 1/2 , his mother and father had died. Many of his siblings lived

with their 73-year-old grandmother.

The grandmother decided to put the two youngest children up for

adoption, and Shirar was one of them. He was 18 months old when he

was taken in by another family.

Shirar moved to Southern California in 1929 and knew little about

his real relatives.

“He didn’t know he had brothers or sisters,” said Tim Bauer,

Shirar’s nephew.

Bauer, a retired airline pilot living in Virginia, began his quest

to find Shirar in the late 1990s. But he was mistakenly looking under

the name “Alfred Bauer” because he didn’t know Shirar’s first name.

With some help, he came across Shirar’s information in 1999 and

later phoned him to verify his identity. Two days later, after he

knew he had the right man, Bauer flew to Southern California.

“The minute I opened the door to his house, my knees got weak,”

Bauer said. “He looked exactly like my father. He was a very

easy-going and positive guy.

“His first question for me was, ‘Why did you wait 85 years to find

me?’” Bauer said.

Bauer smiled and listened to Shirar’s story.

Shirar served during World War II and the Korean War in the Air

Force, retiring as a major. He worked for Union Oil Company of

California in the accounting department and later sold books to

public schools and libraries for Double A. Dorn publishing company.

Shirar owned a general-contracting business from 1946 to 1957, and

rose to become chairman of the board and chief executive officer of

Hines Wholesale Nurseries, which was sold to Weyerhaeuser Co. in

1976.

Throughout his life, Shirar was active in volunteer organizations

and country clubs. He was president of the 552 Club at Hoag Memorial

Hospital Presbyterian and was a member of the Big Canyon Country

Club, Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club and the Commodores Club of Newport

Harbor.

Worden said her father always enjoyed taking vacations to Hawaii

and attending family functions.

“He was very happy, very gentle, very sincere,” Worden said. “He

enjoyed his friends and family.”