Shirley Ann Wingate

Shirley Ann Wingate, 78, of Baytown, TX, went to be with the Lord on December 4, 2017. She was born on January 31, 1939 in Emmet, AR, the youngest of six children, to Johnny Clyde and Artie Williams. She spent her childhood days on a cotton farm and many times during harvest season even had to miss school to help harvest the crop on the family farm, which became the work ethic that she always maintained until the development of Alzheimer’s.

At the age of 17, she moved to Baytown where she met the love of her life, Sam Wingate. Shortly after, they were wed and she began her life as a wife and homemaker. Four years later she began life as a mother. She and Sam had two children, Donnie and Kelly.

In addition to being a great mother to her children, she loved to cook, sew, garden and canning. Shirley enjoyed spending time in the woods and on the lake, where she spent many hours hunting and fishing with Sam, who she claimed she could always “out fish”. Her dedication to her husband was immense. Shirley retired from GCCISD where she proudly served many, many children lunch and breakfast in her job as a cafeteria manager. Shirley was a kind, caring, hard working woman who loved God, her husband, her children and her family.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Sam Wingate; son and daughter-in-law, Donnie and Angel Wingate; daughter and son-in-law, Kelly and Frank Dando; grandchildren, Leah Richards and husband Jody, Daniel Wingate, Derek Wingate, Elyse Cho and husband Peter, Ashley Dubois, and Lacey Newton and husband Marcus; 7 great-grandchildren, most of whom she never got the chance to even meet; sisters, Jean and husband Autry Glanton and Clara Hamrick; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to acknowledge the many kind, caring, and generous nurses and CNA’s at St. James House who spent hours caring for Shirley during the past four years, as well as Marsha and Robbie, with Faith Community Hospice who gently cared for her daily.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 5:00 pm with a visitation beginning at 4:00pm at Earthman Funeral Home.