Shirley B Lamar

An accomplished portrait artist, Shirley relocated to Sun City in 1996 after raising five children and working in various careers, in addition to art, to support her family over the years.

She was born in San Francisco, CA to Joseph and Margaret Bell, whom named her Shirley Mae Bell. She was the youngest of two girls. Her father was a prominent public health physician, and she grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. A stunning redhead who was a cheerleader, Shirley married her high school sweetheart James W. Kelly and gave birth to three children, Richard, Michael, and Joseph Kelly before getting divorced in the mid 1950's.

Shirley was a young career woman struggling to support and raise three children by herself before it was commonplace or widely accepted in American society. She worked as a school administrator in Montgomery County, Maryland, among other jobs.

1n 1964, Shirley married Burris LaMar, a Navy captain, and had two more children, Andrew and Michelle LaMar. After nearly dying while delivering her last child, Michelle, Shirley took a great interest in painting and became an artist, eventually specializing in oil portrait paintings in the style of Renaissance masters.

Her paintings received international recognition and were exhibited in several museums across the country and in Paris, France. Shirley divorced from Burris in 1981.

Over her life, she lived in many different places, including 12 years in the Chicago area and 14 years in Eugene, OR before moving to Sun City. She devoted her life to supporting her children, and although she had many interests, pursuing her artwork was her greatest passion. In Sun City, she was active in Vanguard Artists and the National League of American Pen Women.

Shirley is survived by four beloved children and their spouses, Michael Kelly of Montrose, CA; Joseph and Regina Kelly of Redmond, OR; Andrew and Janine LaMar of Woodland, CA; and Michelle LaMar and Geoff Hopcraft of Piedmont, CA. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren and many great grandchildren.