Shirley was the daughter of Frank and Ethel Killbride and was born and grew up in Boston Bar, British Columbia. She was predeceased by her three sisters, Joan, Frances and Pat.
She was exceptionally proud of the fine women her two daughters, Jennifer (David) and Barbara (Mark), have become. She was grandmother to Tom Howie, Jessica, Collin and Liam Swain and had the chance to meet her two great-grandchildren in 2021, Isla (Tom & Kristina) and Callum (Jessica & Rob).
Shirley was a nurse, a teacher, a wife, a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She had a remarkable 40-year career as a nurse and paediatric nursing teacher who always went above and beyond at work and in life. She loved Kingston and was part of the city, walking the Rideau Trail, teaching nursing at St. Lawrence College, and being part of the Queen’s Faculty community.
She is remembered as a strong person with a sharp mind and an infectious chuckle. When prompted, she would say her happiest times in life were when she had the opportunity to travel with her husband Bill on sabbaticals to England. She loved the many side trips through Europe in their small, trusty Peugeot. She also loved paddling with her sister Pat down the Nahanni River and adventurous travel through China by train and the far North, including Baffin Island.