She is preceded in death by her parents, Birtrue Malcom and Sarah Frances Ginette Newberry Murphree, son, Alfred Malcolm Pearce, granddaughter, Lindsey Marie Pearce, and brother, Bruce Murphree.
Mrs. Pearce attended high school at Tuscaloosa High School and graduated in 1950. She met her husband of 69 years through the Wesley Foundation at the University of Alabama in September of 1950.
Bert and Shirley were married at the First Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa on September 15, 1951. They moved to Houston, Texas to Ellington Air Force Base, where their first two children were born. They returned to Mt. Vernon, Alabama, and were blessed with four additional children.
In 1969 they moved to Mobile where Shirley pursued her Bachelors's and Master's degrees in Special Education at the University of South Alabama. Shirley taught Special Education in the Mobile County Public School System for 20 years. She loved working with children and youth. As a young adult, Shirley was involved with youth ministries throughout the North Alabama Methodist Conference.
She was a lifeguard at Camp Sumatanga at Gallant, Alabama, and Queen City Swimming pool in Tuscaloosa. As an adult, she was an active member of Forest Hill United Methodist Church. During her lifetime, she was a cub scout leader, Sunday School teacher, and involved in all aspects of children’s ministries. She was also very active with missions, especially the Dumas Wesley Community Center. Shirley was an avid swimmer and reader.
Shirley is survived by her husband Bert Wilton Pearce, sons; Daniel Levi Pearce, Stephen Wilton (Carol) Pearce of Mobile, David Taplin (Paola) Pearce of Pensacola, FL, and daughters; Amy Patrice (A.P.) Everette of Semmes and Jody Kathleen (David) Gothard of Montevallo, AL. She is also survived by her brother, Michael Murphree of Mississippi, sister, Jere Gilley of Memphis, TN, seventeen grandchildren, and twenty-five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at Radney Funeral Home-Saraland, AL on Thursday, August 6, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held in the funeral home chapel on Friday, August 7, 2020 beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, AL.
Serving as pallbearers will be Mrs. Pearce’s grandsons. The Reverend Billy Burtt and the Rev. Victor Creagh will be officiating.
Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-saraland.com.
