Shirley Jean Bakies

Shirley Jean Bakies, age 89, of Las Vegas, Nevada passed away peacefully in her home on January 15, 2026. 

Shirley Naifeh was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 10, 1936. After graduating college from Oklahoma University in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Shirley accepted a teaching job in Las Vegas, NV in 1959, where she taught school for over 60 years. Shirley dreamed of becoming a teacher when she was a little girl and would make her two sisters play school with her, where Shirley always got to be the teacher. In 1961, Shirley married the love of her life, James Bakies and purchased their family home, raised her family, and resided in the same home for the remainder of her life. Shirley furthered her career by attending college at UNLV where she got her master’s degree plus 32 hours in Education.

 Shirley was a go getter and a force of nature and was the matriarch of the Bakies Family. Shirley’s family was the center of her life and there wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for her family. When her kids were in pain, she was also in pain and wouldn’t stop worrying until all was well with her kids. Her career as a teacher allowed her to spend all holidays and summers and weekends with her family. Summer vacations were spent with family in Oklahoma and Ohio and would sometimes last a month or more. Shirley was the life of the party with her contagious laugh that you could hear from across the room. If you heard Shirley laugh, you were also laughing and most likely you were in tears from laughing so hard. 

Shirley loved the holidays and every holiday was a celebration. If someone we knew didn’t have family to celebrate the holidays, then they would be coming to our mom and dad’s house, as she couldn’t bear to see anyone without family to enjoy the holidays with. During Christmas she would just make an extra Christmas stocking with a note from Santa and some little trinkets, and they would spend Christmas with our family. Shirley had such a generous heart and made anyone feel comfortable in her home.

 Shirley’s love of learning is why she loved teaching and she touched the lives of so many children in Las Vegas. In fact, many times she would run into one of her old students and they would thank her for being such a special teacher that motivated them to strive for the top. Other times, one of her students would approach one of us and ask, “Is Mrs. Bakies your mom?” Then they would tell us how she had changed their lives. This happened hundreds of granddaughter Sabrina Ostrom, her great grandkids Kaylee and Cameron, her two sisters Peggy and Sandy and many nieces, nephews, cousins, etc. 

Shirley will be missed by all who knew her. Shirley is home with our Father in Heaven and with her husband of 63 years and will be reunited and with all who have gone before her. Thank you, Lord, for sharing with us such a beautiful and loving mom who gave everything she had to her family. She once told me that if she could, she would trade her own life to save the life of any of her children, and I am certain that she was telling me the truth as I had observed the deep love she carried in her heart. Shirley did touch this world in a special way, and she will not be forgotten. 

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 

We invite family and friends to leave their condolences at www.starmortuary.com Funeral services will be held on February 2, 2026 at 9:20 a.m. at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City, NV 89005.