Shirley Alice Nauman Yarnell (84) died peacefully in her sleep on January 23, 2021, at St. Martin’s-in-the-Pines in Birmingham, Alabama. Shirley is survived by her daughters: Deborah Dresher (David) of Birmingham, AL; Dianne Spraggins of Tampa, FL; and Pamela Whyte (Thomas) of Silver Spring, MD. She also leaves behind her four grandchildren: Rachel Dresher Wudel (Adam), Jessica Dresher Hall (Owens), Sean Spraggins, and Maya Whyte, and one precious great-grandson, Weston David Wudel. She is also survived by her siblings Mary Ann Leighton ( Harold) , Thomas Nauman (Joelyn), Robert Nauman (Jeanne), Bernadette Colsant (Lee), and Bill Nauman (Terry), and by her many dear nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Phillip Yarnell of Plano, TX, her parents, Francis and Rosemary Nauman of Peoria, IL, and her brother-in-law Harold Leighton of Peoria, IL.
Born and raised in Peoria, Shirley was the second of six children. She graduated from the Academy of Our Lady in 1954. Shirley spent 25 years as a dedicated mental health administrator. She began her career at Barnes Medical Center in St. Louis, MO, and then was hired in Mobile, Alabama, as the assistant director for Sheltered Workshop, an occupational program provided by Alabama Rehabilitation State Services. She was then appointed executive director of CAN Transitional Housing. In 1972, Shirley moved to San Antonio, TX, where she became the assistant director for Bexar County MHMR, an agency that provided comprehensive mental health services to county residents. Later, she served as the executive director for United Way of San Antonio.
Shirley met Phillip Yarnell of Plano, TX, and they married in Hawaii in 1984. They both loved the ocean and retired to Florida where they lived for the next twenty years. The couple loved boating, and shared a full life of waves, beaches and sunsets while resident on Upper Captiva Island and later, Don Pedro Palm Island, where Shirley was known for hosting many fun gatherings of friends and family. Throughout her time in Florida, Shirley was a faithful member and volunteer at her local parish of St. Francis of Assissi, where she especially treasured the opportunity to serve as a Catholic Eucharistic Minister. After the death of her husband, Shirley relocated to Birmingham to be near her oldest daughter, Deborah and her family. She attended mass regularly in Birmingham at several Catholic churches, Our Lady of Sorrows in Homewood and St. Francis Xavier in Mountain Brook.
Shirley was an intelligent, high-spirited, fashionable, and creative person who enjoyed interior decorating, antiquing, and gardening. She was devoted to her Cockatoos and to her cats Bella, Buttons and Bows. Always up for a tall tale, soft music, and a glass of red wine, Shirley’s smile could brighten any day. No doubt, heaven is a little brighter and livelier with Shirley now there. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to St. Martins-in-the-Pines or to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church or to the Encore Ministry at Canterbury United Methodist Church, Birmingham, AL.
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