While many of us know Shirley Temple as a curly-headed child star, she ended up being so much more. She died at the age of 85 in 2014, but her friends and family gathered to celebrate her life on what would have been her 90th birthday.

Her children have started sharing what they loved most about their mother and the legacy she left behind. Shirley was born on a crisp day in April in 1928 to a homemaker and bank employee. She was the third child in the family, cute as a button, and melted the hearts of everyone in their hometown of Santa Monica, Calif.

Her mother, Gertrude, encouraged her daughter’s obvious artistic skills and enrolled her in Meglin’s Dance School in Los Angeles in 1931. She quickly rose to the top of the class and it was clear she was meant to be a superstar.

The toddler gained the attention of Hollywood just months after being enrolled in the school. She was cast in several small roles in Hollywood starting at the young age of three. She finally got her big break with the film Stand Up and Cheer!

However, Shirley never let her fame get to her. In the years following, she starred in films like Heidi, Bright Eyes, and Curly Top. Eventually she married her first husband and gave birth to her oldest child, Linda Susan.

After five years together, the couple split. It wasn’t long until Shirley remarried, but this time it was to her soulmate. They had two children together, Charles Jr. and Lori. Even though family life was Shirley’s true calling, she still wanted to give back to the world that loved her so much.

Before her passing, Shirley became a social activist. She served as the United States ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and once served as the Chief of Protocol of the United States.

Her daughter Susan says that she and her mother were very best friends. She was devoted, generous, inventive, imaginative, and a lot of fun. “She was all about her children and her husband.”

Charles Jr. agreed. “The only time I noticed her star quality was when someone else would ask for her autograph. She was an amazing person. She was wonderful and normal. We had dinner at the table every night all together,” he recalled.

As much as Shirley is a beloved piece of Hollywood history, she was also a proud diplomat and dedicated mother. Check out the historical video below and be sure to share this story with your family and friends.