Shirley Jean Watson Brooks
Shirley Jean Watson Brooks, 78, of Tucson, Ariz., formerly of Portersville, passed away on Sept. 17.
She was born on Jan. 5, 1936, in Portersville. Shirley was the eldest of nine children of the late Howard and Pearl Schott Watson.
A 1954 graduate and valedictorian of Muddy Creek High School, she met and married her classmate Richard Brooks, who she chose because he always made her laugh.
Shirley and Richard were married for 58 years, enjoying a long, adventurous life full of laughter, three children, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, dogs, cats, family road trips, relocations, handmade leisure suits, travel and good times with friends and family.
Shirley was often found with a smile on her face and a book in her hand. Her love of language was apparent in the completion of a lifetime of crossword puzzles done in ink and word power tests from the Reader's Digest, and reading thousands of books starting at age 4 — her dad was so proud — with the “Dick and Jane” books.
In 1971, the family moved from Pennsylvania to Tucson and seven years later she and Richard moved to Phoenix. Shirley had a successful career as an account manager at Ferrell Gas and was instrumental in the success of Richard's career at Shamrock Foods. After 18 years in Phoenix, Shirley was glad to retire to Tucson and spend her time enjoying her family and gazing at her beloved Catalina mountains.
Shirley was a joy-filled woman who brought happiness to our life. Loving her family and friends was her success story. She will be oh-so-dearly missed by everyone who knew and loved her, as her laughter and kindness touched many hearts. An essential value she taught us was to enjoy life and be ready to laugh, especially at ourselves. “She gave us love, she made us laugh” is how she wanted to be remembered.
She is survived by her husband, Richard; her three children, Roxanne, Valerie (Dan) and Ryan (Terri); her four grandchildren, Brooke (Cory), Carly, Matthew and Zachary; and her two great-grandchildren, Aspen and Cayden.
We, her family, wish to thank all those who provided such compassionate care during Shirley's illness: her hospice nurse, Stephanie, the staff at Arizona Oncology and especially Dr. Jonathan Schwartz M.D., who she adored.
“ ... and never let it be said, 'She lost her battle to lung cancer.' For any battle fought with courage, dignity, and grace is never lost, but serves as a lesson in humanity and inspiration to all.” — Unknown
Brooks— A memorial service for Shirley Jean Watson Brooks, who passed away Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, will be from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at theEast Lawn Palms Mortuary, Tucson, Ariz., with a reception to follow.Shirley felt no child should go hungry, so in lieu of flowers, she would rather donations be made to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona at www.rmhctucson.org, or to the No Kid Hungry Organization at www.nokidhungry.org.
