A beloved mother, wife, sister, and friend, Shirley J. Wilson was born March 5, 1952 at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California, to Helen (Uffer) Davis and RobBen “Bob” EvanDavis Jr. Through her father’s military career, she lived in Alaska, Washington, and Floridabefore settling back in Highland, California, to attend Highland Junior High School and SanGorgonio High School, where she met her husband, Talmadge “Tal” Wilson.

Lacking their parents’ approval due to their young age, Shirley and Tal eloped in South Carolina just a few days after Tal’s 19th birthday. They returned to the San Bernardino area to begin their married life, which lasted until Tal’s death in 2003. She never considered remarrying, and was buried on their wedding anniversary.

Shirley’s first job was at the San Bernardino County Library. But processing books was just a nuisance in a day spent gossiping with her best friend. When Shirley’s children were born, she became a stay-at-home parent: planning memorable birthday parties, leading Scout meetings,and attending every school event. She was endlessly proud of her children. Shirley managed the home while Tal climbed the ladder, working his way from a shoe salesman at Sears to President of Washington state for Morgan Stanley. Once the children were in college, she found a job at one of her favorite stores: Tom’s Farms Country Furnishings in San Bernardino, where she ordered decor and staged the showroom. In 2001, Morgan Stanley moved Tal and Shirley to Redmond, Washington. She said that leaning on each other in an exciting new place resulted in some of their happiest years. Upon Tal’s passing in 2003, Shirley moved home to East Highland to surround herself with family and lifelong friends.

Shirley is best known as an amateur interior designer, and if she chose, could have had al ucrative career. She took pride in creating beautiful, immaculate homes–perfectly staged, like a decor magazine. She decorated every square inch, including complete seasonal changes for the most minute holidays. 

Due to her shy demeanor, Shirley was drawn to vibrant girlfriends who added joy to her life and eased her out of her shell. She tagged along on their adventures, and agreed to just about anything she didn’t have to plan herself. Thanks to these wonderful women, she took part in game nights, Broadway shows, world travel, and weekly meet-ups for movies and shopping. She was especially close to her sister, Delane, and loved their visits and hours-long phone calls.(And once Delane had children, Shirley’s niece and nephew participated in their share of crafting, lunches, and hours-long phone calls as well!) She also loved being part of the Wilson family; some of her favorite memories were from their summer trips to Texas, holidays, and big family vacations. 

Shirley also loved animals…in a way. Rescues were typically forced upon her when her son decided she “needed a dog”. But despite her lukewarm reception, each would eventually become her most vital companion. They followed her everywhere until the end of their life, when she would begrudgingly adopt her next best friend.

Always a little jealous of her friends’ grandchildren, Shirley’s arrived late in life and all at once:three children in three years. Known by her grandkids as “Bunny”, she loved to play with them,doing puzzles or acting out scenes with stuffed animals and silly voices (which was very out-of-character!), and she showered them with beautifully wrapped gifts. During her difficult battle with the ovarian cancer that ended her life, she wished for more time to take the children on the special outings she had imagined. She loved them all, and was so grateful for their time together.Shirley is survived by daughter Laura Montelongo and her husband Vicente,  their daughters Valentina and Paloma; son Casey Wilson, his wife Loran, and their son Talmadge; sister Delane Allen, her husband Earl, and their children Rachael and Jason; and brother-in-law, Richard Wilson, his wife Jill, and their children Clint and Allie. 

Shirley will live on in each of our memories. We will all miss her joyful laugh.