Shirley K. Rollins

Shirley Jane Kessler Waskom Rollins died just a few days before her 94th birthday. Born at Florence Nightingale Hospital (now part of Baylor) to Henry Eastwood Kessler and Mildred Ingram Kessler, Shirley graduated as salutatorian from North Dallas High School in 1944. She then attended Hockaday Junior College on a partial scholarship. The night of her graduation from Hockaday, a knight came to her rescue as her previously scheduled date was unable to make it. She met Walter Waskom on that blind date and they married in 1948, after Shirley had completed her BA at SMU, graduating summa cum laude.

In the early 70’s, Shirley attended the Dean Learning Center through Scottish Rite Hospital and learned how to work with dyslexic children. She tutored many children in her home, either before or after school, since dyslexia was not recognized by most public schools at that time and tutors were not even allowed in the building. After the death of her beloved Walter, Shirley took her skills to Ursuline Academy, where she taught young girls with learning difficulties (back when Ursuline still had a lower school).

Shirley went to work in Current Collections at the Dallas Public Library in 1976. Several years later, she became the librarian at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church and, during the 2001 Jubilee Project, she helped design a new library which won Outstanding Congregational Library Award in 2010. She retired from PHPC in 2012. In the interim, she met and married J. Frank Rollins. Frank died in 1999.

Shirley is survived by daughter Cynthia Waskom and her wife Sandra Long; daughter Susan Waskom Long, and grandchildren Jennifer Long Winford and husband Richard Andrew Winford, Rebekah Elizabeth Long, and John Clark Long V; as well as nephew John Waskom IV and wife Judith Price Waskom, great-niece LeeAnne Waskom Bryan and her husband J. Chase Bryan, and great grand nephews John Chase Bryan, Price Bryan, and Bailey Bryan, and great niece Lisa Waskom and her wife Tina Burgos, and niece Ann Waskom Felty and her husband Hal Felty. In addition to her husbands, Shirley was preceded in death by her son-in-law John Clark Long, IV.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff of Five Star Premier Residences of Dallas for their loving support during Shirley’s final years and to the caregivers at Edgemere Plaza.

A service celebrating Shirley’s life will be held on Monday, June 28, at 11:30 am at the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Chapel. Those wishing to honor Shirley are invited to make a donation to the Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church library or to the Dallas Public Library.