Shirley Ann Trotter

Shirley attended Putnam City schools and after graduating high school, she earned her Bachelors of Science in Business from Oklahoma City University. While a student at OCU, she was listed in “Who’s Who of College Students,” and earned the title of “Honorary Professor of Business Administration.” In later years, she was listed in “Who’s Who in the South and Southwest,” and “Who’s Who of Finance and Industry.”

After earning her Master’s degree, she began her teaching career. She taught in the Putnam City School District for over 11 years while also working at OSU Tech and El Reno Jr. College as an adjunct faculty member. In 1980, she made the brave choice to pursue a new career in technology. She then became an instructor at the FAA Academy, in the group that trains field technicians to be FAA instructors. While working there, Shirley met and fell in love with George Trotter.

In 1981, Shirley left the FAA and went to work for First Data Management Company (FDMC) as a Senior Computer Based Training Analyst. There, she became an expert in IBM’s computer based training software and demonstrated its value to the management.

In 1984, Shirley and George relocated to Northern Virginia, and began working in Washington, DC. During this time, Shirley voluntarily helped set the standards for IBM’s Computer Based Training efforts.

In November of 1988, Shirley and George moved to New Jersey, where Shirley continued working as a successful independent consultant to small businesses. She then was hired by Technology Planning, Inc. She later was re-hired by the FAA Technical Center as a Computer Specialist/Analyst.

While in the FAA, she was a Test Coordinator, Site Project Leader, and a leader in the group managing, testing and evaluating the Voice Switching and Control System (VSCS) and monitoring its contractor, Harris Corporation.

In 1994, Shirley and George moved to Florida, where she became an Independent Consultant to three companies, providing Computer Specialist/Analyst/Contract Proposals. She loved the work that she did and how much she had accomplished in her lifetime. If not for her disabling stroke in November 1994, she would have continued working hard and successfully providing her talents.

Shirley attributes much of her success in life and her career to her Oklahoma City University experience. She was brave, industrious, and conscientious, and a Mensan.

She is survived by her husband of 43 years, George Trotter, and her two sons by her first marriage, Darrell Smith and Darren Smith.

Services for Shirley will be held Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 8701 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73162. She is be laid to rest at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.

The family requests that instead of flowers, you donate in Shirley’s name to Oklahoma City University, or to your favorite charity.

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The following includes excerpts from Shirley's obituary but are George's spoken words at her service held on March 16, 2024:

A Tribute to Shirley, from her husband, George Trotter

Thank you for coming here today to honor Shirley. Many of Shirley’s family members and friends are unable to be here today due to age or various infirmities.

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Shirley was persistent, innovative and self-reliant. During one of her teaching years, as was the custom, she ordered textbooks for her upcoming class. The books did not arrive in time. She starting teaching right on time, but with no books. Eventually, she discovered that the principal had cancelled her book order and not told her. The result was that she taught that class at least half a semester without benefit of a textbook. But she did it!

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Shirley had excellent character, and was brave. I thought she was brave, just for marrying me.

But here’s a real example of her courage and intelligence. After many years as a public school teacher, she was worried about her students and herself, because the school district would not, or could not get computers for her class. She decided to not be left behind by the newer technology. She left teaching, and in doing so gave up her teacher’s retirement benefits in order to start over, taking a position in a local data processing business. She wanted to learn about these new-fangled devices. In short order, she became the local expert on the IBM Computer Based Training software that her employer used. Later, as a member of an IBM user group, she was instrumental in establishing the IBM standards for the software used in developing Computer Based Training. And so Shirley became a pioneer in developing Computer Based Training. For those of you who are not familiar with Computer Based Training, just visualize the You Tube tutorials, and the various online training opportunities. In one way or another, those are all derived from the original Computer Based Training of about 50 years ago.

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Shirley was a conscientious, caring person. She took care of her aunt (Veda Mae) as well as her mom as they aged and needed care. Even while we lived in VA, NJ, FL and TX she would visit her aunt in OK. Once, she called a nursing home just for a quick check and was told Veda Mae had been transferred to some suspicious sounding place. The next day, Shirley was on a plane to Oklahoma. When she checked with the people who should have known, they couldn’t tell Shirley where Veda Mae had been sent. But by the end of that day, Shirley had tracked Veda Mae to a place in Jones OK. Shirley visited, judged the place to be generally undesirable, and didn’t think Veda Mae was receiving proper care. By the following day, Shirley had managed to get Veda Mae moved to a much nicer place in Oklahoma City, where she received better care, and remained for the rest of her life.

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Shirley was creative. She played piano and organ, and sang in the church choir. Like her mom, Shirley was a poet. She wrote the poem that is printed under her picture in the agenda, and which will be read by Darrell.

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And like her mom, She loved being the center of attention. If Shirley were here now, she would be very pleased to know there is a special website that anyone in the world can see, which is devoted to Shirley’s picture and biography.

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One of Shirley’s careers was teaching typing. This was done on a machine they called a … typewriter. Some of you are too young to remember typewriters, but just try to visualize a printer combined with a keyboard, but with no screen attached. … Now typing teachers were generally known to make sure their students did everything just right. Shirley was emphatic about doing things just right.

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Fast forward to today, Her younger son Darren was unable to attend, but he and I had a recent telephone conversation. As we ended, Darren said he was sure she would end up in heaven. …. I agreed, and told Darren, “She definitely will go to heaven, and I’m sure that when she first walks in, her sharp eyes will immediately see something that is … just … not … quite … right. … And whatever that is, I know she will make sure it gets …. put … right.

… Darren agreed.

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Shirley entered long term care on April 2, 2021, so she was there almost 3 years. During those three years, I have almost become used to her not being with me every day. But now, her absence is more intense, and this past week, reviewing pictures, and thinking about her life brought back fond memories, and a few tears.

It will be difficult to learn to refer to myself as “I, George” and no longer be able to say “Shirley and George, … we.”

Thank you again for being here.