Shirley Ann Ash was born June 17, 1937, in Chattanooga, Oklahoma to James Mathias and Lola Edith (Hill) Ash. The second youngest of seven children, she was raised on the family farm and graduated from Cache High School in 1955. She started nursing studies at Southwestern Oklahoma State University where she met Donald C. Slack as one of her Chemistry teaching assistants.
On August 5, 1956, she and Don were united in marriage at the Holy City in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge north of Cache. They began their family in Enid and remained there until 1969 when they moved to Crescent to take over the family drug store. While in Crescent she did the bookkeeping for Don’s Drug and was involved in the church and multiple women’s clubs.
Shirley and Don moved to Edmond in June 1977, where she worked for Temp Safe and then later the Oklahoma Corporation Commission from which she retired in 1996. Shirley moved to Norman in 2013 following the death of her husband.
Her family was always an integral part of her life and she was viewed as a “second mom” to many. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren meant everything to her and she affectionately became known as “Mimi” to all. Shirley loved music, was a church organist and pianist in Enid and Crescent, enjoyed singing, sewing, going to the horse races, and playing games with the family. According to her, she was the only one of her brothers and sisters that did not cheat in dominos when playing moon. Shirley loved to travel including several trips to Europe and a cruise to Cozumel, Jamaica and the Caymens. She would have traveled even more extensively had her health allowed.
She was an avid OSU and OKC Thunder Fan and loved watching sports. Shirley was an incredible cook always wanting to try new recipes and was best known for her amazing meringue pies.
During her time in Norman she was blessed to have a loving church family at McFarlin Methodist along with amazing and caring friends that looked out for her including Judy Hyden, Vickie Santellen, Charles Young, Tiffany Hyde, Jenny George, and April Johnson.
She is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Robin Noad of Bath, England, a son and his partner Jeff Slack and Joshua Ries-Lander of Fort Worth, TX; two grandchildren, Alyssa Cozby and her husband Geoff of Kalaheo, HI and Anthony Hancock of Norman; five great-granddaughters, Aidalynne, Avery, Audrey, and Aurora Cozby and Essence Hancock; sister-in-law Inola Ash of Cache, and a host of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Don, her parents Jim and Lola Ash, three brothers Boyd, Dale and Richard Ash, three sisters, Evelyn Moore, Joyce Rhoads, and Bettye Jackson, and a daughter and son-in-law, Sheri and Jim Hancock.
