Shirley Anne Smith
1931-2018
Shirley Anne (White) Smith passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 19, 2018. Born the youngest of four to George and Bertha (Owings) White on March 8, 1931 in Moberly, MO, she was raised in Stillwater, OK, graduating valedictorian of the Stillwater High School Class of 1949. She continued her education at Oklahoma A&M College, majoring in Political Science. She was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and worked as the administrative secretary to Edmon Low, for whom the current OSU library is named. On March 7, 1951, she married fellow Stillwater native Robert “Bob” Smith, shortly before Bob deployed to Korea as part of the 45th Division. Bob and Shirley made their home in Oklahoma City. Shirley was employed as an educator for 25 years at Hefner Junior High School, where she was named Teacher of the Year in 1976. She obtained her Masters in Secondary Education from Central State College in Edmond. Upon her retirement from education, she co-founded and served as the office manager of 050 Engineering. Shirley was the rock of the Smith family. Her quiet demeanor masked a confident professional woman who inspired her children and grandchildren through her example. Shirley was a volunteer Camp Fire leader and an outspoken member of the Oklahoma Education Association. She was a devoted wife, a woman of Faith, and a dedicated sports mom who would literally ride a horse to the top of a mountain in order to make a child’s dream come true. Always the wittiest and most organized person in the room, Shirley was admired by many for her professionalism, kindness, generosity, and selflessness. Known to her grandchildren as Noni, she loved spending time with them. She always made time to sew a Halloween costume, read books, tell stories, play games, bake cookies, and even exchange hand written letters. Many a delicious holiday meal at her house was followed by a seemingly never-ending game of UNO. Bob and Shirley loved taking their family to Creede, CO every summer on vacation, a tradition that has continued for four generations. She never shied away from a snowball fight and was always the first to suggest a late-night snack of hot chocolate and popcorn. Shirley is preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob, and two brothers, Jim and Bob. She is survived by: her sister Beverly (Lovell) Hesser of Enid; son Steve Smith and wife Phyllis of Yukon; daughter Debbie Fimple and husband Stan of Pawnee; son Robert Smith and wife Shirley of Edmond; grandchildren: Erin Miller and husband Jeff of Oklahoma City; Amy Hampton and husband Brine of Norman; Lindsey Huffman and husband Jacob of Vinita; Brandon Fimple of Creede, CO; Jeremy Smith and Matthew Smith of Edmond; seven great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and her beloved dachshund Max. Services will be held at St. John University Parish in Stillwater on Tuesday, April 24 at 2:00 p.m., with Father Kerry Wakulich officiating. Interment will follow at the Fairlawn Cemetery in Stillwater. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.