Shirley (Neely) Irwin

Shirley Jo Neely Irwin died early Tuesday morning, August 1, 2023. A memorial service will be held at 10am on Saturday, August 5 at Polk St Methodist Church, 1401 S. Polk St in Amarillo. Private burial will be at Llano Cemetery.  Visitation will be Friday, August 4 from 6-7pm at Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 S. Georgia St.

Shirley was born in Amarillo on December 12, 1929, the daughter of M. Lucile Moore and H. Ted Neely. She graduated from Amarillo High School in 1948. She attended Amarillo College, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas where she was a member and officer of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

She was a lifelong resident of Amarillo, and she married the love of her life, William Keith “Bill” Irwin, in 1951. They celebrated their 56th anniversary prior to his death in 2007. She was also preceded in death by her son, William “Keith” Irwin, Jr.   Shirley is survived by her daughters, Corinne Irwin of Austin, and Chris Irwin Bush (husband Kim) of Hilton Head, South Carolina. Her grandchildren are Kathryn Neely Bush Harrison (husband Scott) of Highland Park, Illinois and Daniel “Keith” Bush (wife Kim) of New York City, and her great grandchildren are Parker Lovell Harrison, Bennett William Harrison and Ellie Grace Harrison. She also leaves her sister-in-law, Virginia Irwin Maynard, as well as beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends.

Shirley had a heart for serving others and a smile that lit up the room. She was actively involved in many organizations throughout her life, including the Amarillo Little Theatre, Bushland School PTA, Amarillo Junior League, Thursday Bible Study, HOSTS volunteer at Margaret Wills Elementary, and High Plains Food Bank volunteer.  She has been a member of Polk Street Methodist Church since joining as a newlywed in 1951.  She also had a very successful almost 20 year career as a realtor, and felt privileged to have accomplished so much in both serving others and in business.

She enjoyed reading, nature, gardening, golf, travel, and playing bridge. She always said that her Faith, Family and Friends were the most important things in her life. She was a witness to that every single day of her life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be made to the charity of your choice.