The daughter of the late Samuel M. Martin and Nina T. Arnold Martin, she was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Edward L. Paquet, and her eldest son, Philip E. Paquet.
Shirley was born in Melbourne, Florida, the second youngest of six children. She spent her childhood at her family’s home built within a hammock of oaks, pines and palmettos in an area west of Malabar known to them as Gobbler Head. Her life there and her experiences along the Indian River and the Florida coast led to her lifelong love of the outdoors and nature.
Shirley graduated from Melbourne High School, where she lettered in basketball and was her class valedictorian. She left Melbourne to take a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. and where she was trained as a fingerprint specialist. She then took a position with the U.S. Weather Service in Washington where she prepared weather forecasting maps. This is where she met and married her husband, Eddie, in 1947. They moved with their growing family to Greensboro, N.C.,
Charleston, S.C. and Cayce, S.C., finally retiring to the home they built on Lake Murray in Prosperity, S.C.
In addition to managing a household and raising six kids, Shirley was a talented artist, flower arranger, seamstress, cook, cake decorator and singer. She had a great sense of humor and was a killer Scrabble player. Her greatest passion, however, was growing and showing her beloved iris. For many years, she was a member of the American Iris, Japanese Iris and Louisiana Iris Societies. She was Judge Emeritus of horticulture and flower arrangement design with the S.C. Garden Council and American Iris Society.
Shirley is survived by her children, Susan Paquet of Cayce, SC, Jeanne Paquet of Columbia, SC, Carol Paquet of Cayce, SC, John Paquet (Deborah) of Jacksonville Beach, FL, and George Paquet of Los Lunas, NM and her grandchildren, Karl F. Oswald, Jr. (Jodi) of Elgin, IL, Maggie Oswald of Cayce, SC, Vezweena Paquet of Albuquerque, NM, and Shelby Paquet of Jacksonville, FL. She was predeceased by her brothers, Boyd, Marshall and Charles Martin and her sisters, Louise Martin Lindberg and Mabel Martin Tindall.
The family would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Prisma Health Hospice staff members - Jenefer, Eva, Erin and Charlotte - who helped us to care for our beloved mom in the final few days of her life.
Due to current conditions, a private graveside service will be held at Elmwood Cemetery on Saturday, May 23, 2020. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
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