Deaconess Shirley Lee

SHIRLEY entered her spiritual journey when she closed her eyes in sleep late Thursday night on August 1st and slept through until God called her to her heavenly home on August 3rd at 7:35am.  She was a strong woman and held on for the family for nine years (in decline).  Even though she couldn’t speak sentences, she stilled called out her family names until her health declined more the last three weeks.  She fought a long and hard fight.

SHIRLEY was born September 9, 1936 to the late Dr. Edmond Lee and Cora H. Johnson Lee.  She was the ninth of eleven children reared on a small farm in Tucker Hill, VA.  Her siblings that proceeded her in death were Martha Newman, Nellie Gaskins, Dorothy Ball, Gladys Green-Wilson, Norman Lee, Josephine (Pena) Ball, Richard (Junior) Lee, Pearl Braxton, and Edward (Jake) Lee.

SHIRLEY married Clifton Lee, Jr. on December 26, 1957.  From this union were the loves of her life, her daughters Ruby Nickens and Grindl (Penny) James (Ralph) and son Tony D. Lee.  She was a great mother to us and taught us so many things about life and those things have now been passed down to her grand and great grandchildren.  These good values we cherish daily.

SHIRLEY accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at a very early age at Zion Baptist Church of Kinsale, VA.  Through her spiritual devotion she became a member of the Deaconess Board and she was an Eastern Star of Westmoreland Chapter 207.  She also sang with the mass choir.  Her favorite song was “Hold Back The Night” which she always sang with such passion.  She loved going to church.

SHIRLEY was educated at the old school house (Zion School) in Tucker Hill, VA wherein she walked to school with her siblings and cousins.  She completed her education at A.T. Johnson High School in Templeman, VA.  Mom would tell us how Ms. Betty (Teacher) would pull her from the classroom to help her make potato salad for the kids’ lunch.  She became so good at making this salad that her family deemed her potato salad the best ever!  She passed this recipe along to her daughter Penny.

SHIRLEY worked several seasonal occupations such as the Tomato factory (peeling tomatoes); the Oyster House (shucking oysters); and the Fish House (cleaning fish).  But, the jobs she most enjoyed was working at the Tidewater Hospital; Warsaw Healthcare Center and driving the school bus for the Westmoreland County School Board.  She loved the children on her bus route so much that she made sure they always had treats for all the holidays.

SHIRLEY leaves to cherish all of her great memories: husband, Clifton Lee Jr.; two daughters, Ruby Lee Nickens and Grindl (Penny) James (Ralph); son, Tony D. Lee; brother and best friend, Calvin T. Lee (Susie); four grandchildren: Tamara Hackett, Brandon Wilson (Latasha), Theo Nickens and Brittany Lyles (Jequille); four great grandchildren: Amaya Warner, Branden Wilson, Maliya Waters and Jordon Lyles; Four brothers-in-law: Richard Lee, James Lee (Deborah), Leroy Lee and William (Mack) Lee (Shelia); one son-in-law, Ralph L. James; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and extended relatives and friends.

Home going services for Deaconess Shirley Lee of Kinsale, Virginia will be held on Saturday, August 10 at 12 Noon in the sanctuary of the Zion Baptist Church, 1274 Zion Church Road, Kinsale, Virginia.

Interment will follow in the Zion Baptist Church Cemetery.

The viewing will be on Saturday, August 10 from 10AM until service time at Zion Baptist Church.

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