Trisha Ann Shirts

Trisha Ann Shirts, 62, of Weiser passed away on Thursday, October 29 in Boise after a 13 year battle with cancer. She was born in Council, Idaho, the only child of Larry and Sharon Widner.

She grew up in Midvale and attended Midvale Schools in grades K-12. At Midvale High School, she played volleyball, basketball, and track. She was a member of MHS’s state championship basketball team in 1982, and was named Class A-4 player of the year. Her coach, Danny Warfield and his family, were a big influence in her life, as well as her mother, Sharon, and her grandparents, Thurn and Phyllis Woods. Also, during that time of high school, Trish made the decision to be baptized, a big turning point in her life. Trish graduated as class valedictorian.

Growing up, she spent many weekends water skiing and camping for firewood for the house. Also, to add to her mother’s worry, she bought a motorcycle and used it to get to various jobs like mowing lawns, lifeguarding, cleaning rest areas, and moving pipe. Later, in Boise, when she had to lay down her motorcycle on Vista Avenue to avoid a wreck, she decided her cycling career was over.

Trish attended the College of Southern Idaho on a basketball scholarship and was an outstanding player for them. She played a year at Abilene Christian in Texas, and then finished playing a year at Boise State. After graduating from college, she took a job teaching PE and Health at North Junior High in Boise, where she also coached basketball and track.

During the summer of 1992 in Boise, a boy who grew up just down the road from Cambridge, asked her out. When she told her mother, Sharon replied, “Trish, all the Shirts boys are short.” Trish was relieved when Dave came to the door and was a half inch taller than her. Dave and Trish married in the summer of 1993, and all of a sudden Trish, the only child, had ten brothers and sisters in the Shirts family.

In 1997, on the way to the hospital to deliver Sadie, Trish thought she needed to stop and get a maple bar. They arrived at the hospital, and the next thing they knew, Trish was pulled in for an emergency C-section. Later, in 2000 and 2004, came Abbey and Mattie. Her girls were always such a joy in her life. Trish stayed home for 13 years to take care of the girls, alongside many of the Weiser School District’s children who attended her daycare. She was an avid crafter, scrapbooker, and cook.

Basketball stayed a big part of Trish’s life. Trish coached many years of city rec basketball, and also headed up young girls’ Saturday basketball clinics for well over 10 years. She even coached some middle school basketball with Dave, their highlight being coaching Weiser to an 8th grade championship over Fruitland after losing to them five consecutive times over two years.

In 2009, with Sharon taking over daycare duties for Mattie’s last year before starting school, Trish became a secretary at Weiser High School, working as attendance secretary and athletic secretary under Terry Mooney for many years. She was also the first line of defense, meeting parents and kids as they came through the office. Trish loved the kids and the people she worked with.

In 2013, Trish was diagnosed with breast cancer. The only work she missed during the time of chemo and radiation was during the actual appointments. She didn’t miss any extra school time. During all of this time, Trish had great joy traveling to watch her daughters’ sporting events in high school and later college. She enjoyed watching her daughters and two son-in-laws flourish in their career paths and activities, as well as growing in their faith. In 2024, the cancer came out of remission and eventually forced Trish to retire, which she didn’t want to do.

Trish’s favorite season was summer. She really enjoyed going water skiing at Mann Creek Reservoir with her family and friends. She was always an excellent water skier, and was even one of the original New Year’s Day Polar Bear water skiers.

She was always up to a craft or restoration project, and liked attending flea markets and auctions for her projects. She enjoyed working side-by-side with Dave at the high school. They fondly remember a few trips as a family, including a 16-day-driving, round-trip to Disney World, lots of camping on the Oregon Coast and McCall, and sports-watching trips to Alabama, Indiana, and Florida, and a cruise with family members through the Gulf of Mexico.

She loved her extended family, always giving special attention to her nieces and nephews. She was very proud of her two son-in laws, Ryan and Drew. She was known for making great salads at all the large family gatherings, homemade Texas BBQ sauce, and her famous Christmas candy.

She will be dearly missed, but we are happy for her to be with Jesus in Heaven.

A rosary vigil will be held for Trish on Friday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Weiser at St. Agnes Catholic Church. Trish’s funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 14 at 11:00 o’clock at the Weiser Christian Church with a dinner following.

Trish was preceded in death by her Father, Larry Widner. She is survived by her mother Sharon Widner and her husband Eric Johnson, husband Dave, her daughter Sadie (Ryan) Crenshaw, her daughter Abbey (Drew) Wyman, and her daughter Mattie, as well as numerous brother and sister-in laws, and many nephews and nieces.

Trish always found joy in giving back to others. In lieu of flowers, you may send donations to the Weiser Education Foundation, 10 Fairmont Drive, Weiser, ID 83672, to help create a scholarship for Weiser High School in Trish’s name.