Shirley Ann Fannin

Shirley Ann Fannin went home to be with her Lord and Savior on June 22, 2023. She passed from this life surrounded by her family in her home in Dickinson after a long and courageous battle with dementia.

Shirley was born to Gertrude and Thomas Stocks on November 14, 1936 in Waldo, Arkansas. She and her Mom spent her early years living on a farm with her grandparents, Earl and Birdie Dennis. She had a very close relationship with her grandparents, and she enjoyed the time she spent with them on their farm.

When she started the first grade, she and her Mom moved to Camden, Arkansas where she started school and became a part of the First Baptist Church. It was there that she accepted the Lord as her Savior at the age of 8. Her Mom eventually remarried Fred Russell, and she gained a baby sister named Martha. They moved to Elliott, Arkansas, and Shirley went to Elliott Baptist Church where she played the piano until college. She attended Fairview High School where she graduated as the valedictorian of her class. After graduating from high school, she received scholarships from Ouachita Baptist University and Southern Arkansas University. However, her parents felt it best for her to attend a school close to home, so she went to Southern Arkansas University.

God had a plan because it was there that she met the love of her life, Loyd Fannin. Loyd was a senior and Shirley was a freshman when they met at the Baptist Student Union. They attended church together and fell in love immediately. Loyd told a friend early on that he had met the girl that God meant for him to marry. By the end of the school year they were officially engaged. They knew that God had brought them together, so on September 8, 1956 they married at the Elliott Baptist Church in Elliott, Arkansas. They have been married for almost 67 years. Loyd recently wrote on a card that he was “dedicating the rest of his life to her care,” and he did that extremely well.

Loyd and Shirley moved to Norman, Oklahoma, where Loyd pursued his Master’s Degree. After graduating, they moved to El Dorado, Arkansas where Loyd was offered a job with Monsanto. It was there that their first daughter, Michelle, was born. They only spent a year in Arkansas at that time before being transferred to St. Louis, Missouri. It was there that their second daughter, Melanie, was born. Soon they were transferred to Texas City, Texas to work with Monsanto. They chose to live and make their home in Dickinson, Texas where they have lived for 58 years now.

When the girls were in school, Shirley went back to college at the University of Houston to complete her Bachelor of Science in Education degree so that she could become a teacher. This was an important goal to her so she worked hard to accomplish this while still loving and serving her family well. She spent the majority of her 20 plus years teaching kindergarten students. She loved her years of teaching, and she often was approached by former students in the community who thanked her for her influence and impact on their lives.

Shirley’s faith in the Lord was at the core of who she was, and she was very committed to the local church, First Baptist Church of Dickinson, where she and Loyd attended for 46 years. After retirement, Shirley continued to stay active and involved with mission work in her church, in her association, and eventually at the state level where she worked as an equipper for the Texas Baptist WMU Board. We often called her “Mrs. WMU.”

However, Shirley’s greatest titles were that of Wife, Mom, and Mimi. Outside of the Lord, no one brought her more joy than the love of her life, Loyd; her daughters and sons-in law, Michelle (Raymond) and Melanie (Steve); her 4 grandchildren, Meagan (Ben), Myles, and Shea; and her 4 great-granddaughters, Norah, Eva, Lydia, and Moriah.

A celebration of her life will take place at Bay Area Church 4800 West Main Street in League City on June 29, 2023 at 1:00.

Contributions in honor of Shirley can be made to a mission organization of your choice for the furtherance of the Gospel (John 3:16).