Darlene Elizabeth Mary Teagle Shoemaker McCarty, a cherished mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, great-great grandmother, aunt, and friend, peacefully passed away at her home in Nampa, Idaho, on January 10, 2025. She was surrounded by love. She was 92 years old. Born in Chicago, Illinois on April 8, 1932, to James Everett Teagle and Elizabeth (Betty) Elliott Teagle, Darlene's early years were spent in Chicago. When she was 11 the family followed her father's sister Fern and relocated to San Ysidro, California. Her father worked at the National City Shipyard during the war years. Her mother was a cook at Jim's Café at in San Ysidro. Mom always said how much warmer it was there compared to Chicago. Her father eventually returned to his love of racehorses at Aqua Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico. Mom spent a lot of time with her father, and it was during this time that she decided that she loved the outdoors. They had horses and she walked 'hots' — cooling them off after a workout. The racetrack was a big part of her life and she earned her 'hard work' attitude from that time. Darlene was always passionate about horses and horse racing. At Caliente she met Arthur Shoemaker, Jr. (Art) whose family also trained and raced horses. The love blossomed and they married in Mexicali. Together they built a life on Arthur and Viola Shoemaker, Sr.'s (Arts's parents) ranch in Nestor. There they welcomed their children Pamela Jane and Leonard Arthur. The family moved from the Nestor ranch after a naval drone plane crashed through the barn killing six of the horses. They relocated to Clovis in the Central Valley of California in 1953 where Arthur, Sr. purchased a 30-acre ranch, later named Two Ton Tony Farm. After Art's untimely death in a gyro-copter accident in 1961, Darlene continued to run the ranch while raising their two children earning respect and admiration within the racing community. Under Darlene's stewardship, the ranch became a sanctuary for thoroughbreds, nurturing future champions and providing rest and rehabilitation for horses. Over the years, the ranch had a hand in many thoroughbred race champions and stakes winners, both bred on the ranch and owned by others. One of her greatest joys was being in the winner's circle pictures for many of the wins. Her son Len carried on the family tradition of training when his grandfather, Arthur, Sr. passed in 1969. One of the highlights of Darlene's life was attending the 1992 Kentucky Derby with longtime friend and history-making trainer Shelley Riley, to watch Casual Lies, finish second (Casual Lies went on to finish third at the Preakness). Darlene was not only a dedicated horsewoman but also an avid golfer and vibrant hostess, known for lively family gatherings at the ranch. Summers and holidays were filled with BBQs, pool parties, spirited card games and playful adventures. Darlene always came to the card table with her bag of money and a playful challenge, always eager to know where everyone else's bag of money was. Darlene always played to win - taking no prisoners! After Darlene sold the ranch to the state of California for the Highway 99 expansion, she moved to Castro Valley to live with her son Len for a year before eventually settling in Nampa, Idaho in 1995 to be near her daughter Pamela. There, she met Charles Wesley McCarty on a blind date, leading to a joyful marriage in 2001. They shared years of travel, golf, and hosting friends while living on Chicken Dinner Road in Caldwell. They moved into Nampa in 2005, and Charles passed away the following year. Darlene's love for travel took her across the globe — to England, Ireland, Europe, Alaska, and Mexico, accompanied by her sister and later traveling with Charles. Charles and she cruised multiple times, through the Panama Canal and traveling to Europe. She and Charles also road the rails from the west to Washington DC, New York, and Canada. She continued to go to Mexico with family after Charles passed and cruised to Alaska for a final time in 2015 with her two children and their spouses. A devoted dog lover, Darlene cherished and loved her many canine companions over the years, with Darby Il and Ellie Mae bringing great joy and love to her in the last decades of her life. She is survived by her daughter Pamela and her husband James Wear (Nampa, Idaho) and her son Len and wife Susie Shoemaker (Kuna, Idaho). She graciously gave her love and support to four grandchildren: her grandson Stacy and wife Perri Shoemaker (Winchester, California); her granddaughters Darrene Hackler and husband Christopher Hoene (Sacramento, California) and Laura Doser-Neeley and husband David Neeley (McKinney, Texas); and her grandson Justin Hackler (Meridian, Idaho). She enjoyed six great-grandchildren (Terre Middleton, Taelor Bohn, Miles and Madison Doser, and Alysha and Barrett Hackler) and four great-great grandchildren (Brynlee, Beckett, and Bosten Middleton and Brixton Bohn). She is survived by a niece, Linda Siperik and family and a nephew Robert Smith and family, both in Oregon, and a nephew, Kevin Smith and family in Ohio. She was preceded in death by husbands Art and Charles, her parents, her grandparents, her sister Jayney, and her nephew, Michael. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Christine, to Red Fox Home Healthcare especially Nikki and Joanna who arranged for some amazing and loving people for mom, especially Mel, and to Doctor's Hospice of Idaho for their skilled and compassionate care, especially Jordan and Jenn. Darlene will always be remembered for her never ending support and encouragement, her kindness, boundless love, her strength, humor, wisdom and relentless perseverance in all things. She was an empathetic counsel during challenging times, she embodied resilience, generosity and a zest for life, always encouraging others to embrace joy, to love family and to make sure we understood "when you get the choice to sit it out or dance — she wanted us to dance!" A Celebration of Life reception with light appetizers will be held on August 2, 2025, at Sawtooth Winery, 19348 Lowell Rd, Caldwell, Idaho from 6:00 to 9:00 PM where we can see the sky. She loved the sky in Idaho telling her California friends "the sky is so big in Idaho"!