Mrs. Shirley Smith was born on November 5, 1949, in Versailles, Missouri. She was an elementary school teacher in the Fort Osage School District for 27 years. She held a master’s degree in elementary education and was a member of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association (MRTA).
Shirley enjoyed ceramics, gardening, camping, fishing, cats, and her beloved poodles. She married her husband, Cliff Smith, on July 13, 1974, and they were married for 44 years.
Shirley had a rebellious spirit in her youth; climbing trees and stirring up trouble for her two older sisters, especially when her sister Joyce began dating. Her family moved from Stover, Missouri, to Independence, Missouri, when she was five years old. She graduated from Truman High School and went on to attend Central Missouri State University.
Determined and stubborn, Shirley was told she couldn’t finish college. Yet she not only earned her degree, but completed a master’s in elementary education.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifford Smith, and her parents, Elva (Webb) Cable and Woodrow Cable.
She is survived by her loving daughter, Jeanna Smith; sisters, Geraldine Hauger and Joyce Elwick; brother-in-law, Steve (Betsy) Smith; and many nieces and nephews.
A visitation for Shirley will be held Monday, June 16, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Floral Hills Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7000 BLUE RIDGE BLVD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64133.
A funeral service will occur Monday, June 16, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, 7000 BLUE RIDGE BLVD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64133.
A graveside service will occur Monday, June 16, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM at Newcomer's Floral Hills Funeral Home & Floral Hills Cemetery, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64133.
Contributions in Shirley's memory may be made to American Diabetes Association , P.O. Box 7023 , Merrifield, VA 22116-7023, https://diabetes.org/?form=Donate;
And American Stroke Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, Texas 75231, https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give form=FUNQCSERKQD&sc_camp=74BDCAFF54BB490B8E37C664AE727101.
