Shirley Jean Heard

She was 85. Shirley was born on April 27, 1936, in Hico, Texas, to J.C. and Vera Prater. She grew up in Hico and met her future husband, Franklin D. Hall, at the local movie theater when she was 13. They married in 1955, moving to Fort Worth, where she rose to become a senior secretary at Continental Geophysical. They raised two boys, Daniel Dee and David Alan. In 1983, Shirley began working full-time at Texas Christian University so David could attend tuition free. She worked there for more than a decade. Known as “the smile in the Dean of Students Office,” Shirley was great behind the typewriter and fantastic in the kitchen (sometimes cooking for students). She was more than a shoulder to cry on. A former student remembers her as “an amazing mentor, a mom, a guardian angel and a guidepost.” Shirley touched hundreds of lives with her compassion and understanding. She made regular appearances at the Elks Lodge and lit up the dance floor. She loved costume parties, sporting a large collection of White Elephant prizes.

In 1984, her beloved husband, Franklin, passed away. Three years later she married W.C. Heard. He passed away in 1997.

She is survived by her sons, Dan and David, her grandson, Dylan, and her sister, Margret Ann.