She was preceded in death by her devoted mother, Sarah Elizabeth Lightfoot, her loving husband, J.L. Prince and her brothers and sisters, Frances, Jesse Dot, Charles and Florine. She is survived by her two loving daughters, Cindy Watwood (David) and Robin Campbell (Stuart); her loving grandchildren Brandi, Daniel and Kevin; and precious great-grandchildren Caitlin, Natalie and Sarabeth. She is also survived by many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Shirley lived her life with joy. She was passionate about children, older people, mission work helping others, and writing stories and poems. She was creative in remodeling and decorating her homes, blending a touch of the past with the present.
Shirley delighted in sharing stories of her life and hearing the stories of others. She often said, “Everyone has a story and should share it.” She loved people and people were drawn to her as she made many friends. She devoted many hours to prayer and Bible study. She was an avid reader and distributor of The Upper Room, a World-Wide Daily Devotional Guide. She had one of her personal stories published in The Upper Room.
Shirley grew up in the Methodist Church. For most of her adult life, she worshiped and served in Baptist Churches. She worked for 5 years as a volunteer at the Mission Clearing House for the Birmingham Baptist Association. She was benevolent throughout her whole life devoting love and kindness to everyone she crossed paths with. In 2009, Shirley returned to her Methodist roots and became a member at Acmar United Methodist Church.
A visitation will be held at Ridout's Elmwood Chapel on Monday, September 21, 2026, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm with a funeral service beginning at 2:00 pm. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery & Mausoleum.
At Shirley’s request in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Upper Room. Contributions can be made online at UpperRoom.org/gift. A check may be made payable to The Upper Room and mailed to: The Upper Room, P.O. Box 305150, Nashville, TN 37230-5150.
The family would like to extend their gratitude to their mother’s special nurse, Tina Tamber, with Southern Beacon Hospice, and to her special caregiver Kharissa, whom she called “Lil Girl”
