Shirley Mae House

Shirley Mae House was born December 13, 1932 in Charleston, South Carolina, to George and Beulah (Stephenson) House. Upon graduation from Rivers High School in Charleston, she attended Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, North Carolina. Shirley worked her way through college, sometimes holding 5 jobs to support herself. She graduated in 1956, earning a B.A. in Physical Education and Religion. That same year she was recognized as “Woman of the Year” by the W.R. Association.

After graduation from Atlantic Christian, Shirley began her fulfilling career as Recreation Director for Retarded Citizens in Kingston, N.C. While there, she pioneered an outdoor program and camps for students who previously had simply been “warehoused.” Shirley’s next position was as the City Recreation Director for Women in Raleigh, NC. Based on those experiences, she was hired by the Girl Scouts of America in North Carolina, and was soon transferred to the West Coast, as district advisor for the Tri-Cities in Washington, state.

Wanting to expand her expertise and career opportunities, Shirley moved to Bellingham, Washington, to attend Western Washington University. She supported herself by working in a mental hospital while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Education. Upon graduation in 1968, Shirley moved to Portland, Oregon, where she taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grades at Boise Elementary School, in the inner city. During her 15 years at Boise, she also coached girls basketball. Her 8th graders took city championships for 14 of those years. Shirley was especially pleased that so many team members earned college scholarships. While teaching and coaching at Boise Elementary, she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College. She moved on to teach at Mt. Tabor School and then completed her career as Vice Principal at Kellogg Middle School in 1994.

Shirley enjoyed working in her garden and doing “handyman” work around her homes, first in Baseline Woods, Beaverton, and later King Village in Tigard. Most recently she lived in Summerfield (King City) and Hearthstone (Beaverton).

Shirley was a founding and very active member of Greater Portland Bible Church, teaching children’s Sunday School for 46 years. She loved to sing but her great passion was teaching. Just a few weeks before her death, Shirley was teaching a Bible Study at Summerfield.

A memorial service for Shirley will take place August 18, at 3:00 PM, Greater Portland Bible Church (2374 SW Vermont). In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Greater Portland Bible Church or the Portland Rescue Mission.