Shirley Jean Foley

Shirley Jean Whitehead Foley, 80, passed away on January 22, 2013, at her daughter’s home in Richmond, TX. Shirley was born at home on January 21, 1933, in rural Jasper County, IA, to Wilbur Weston Whitehead and Christine Allspach Whitehead. She was a 1951 graduate of Mingo High School in Mingo, IA. Following high school, Shirley moved to the “big city” of Des Moines where she was employed as a secretary until she met her husband-to-be, Richard Phillip Foley. Shirley and Richard were married on January 14, 1956, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Des Moines, IA. Shirley held other secretarial positions over the years when family finances required, but spent most of her time as a stay-at-home mother, and then a stay-at-home grandmother, for her girls and her grandchildren. Shirley enjoyed jigsaw and Sudoku puzzles, spending summers with family in Iowa, arts and crafts of all kinds, knitting, crocheting, and especially sewing. There was nothing she couldn’t make with a sewing machine, including matching dresses for her daughters, one-of-a-kind designer outfits for Barbie dolls, window curtains and even sleeping bags. Shirley is survived by her three daughters, Renee (Mitchell) Wright of Katy, TX, Monica Farina of Hockley, TX, and Leslie (David) Gipson of Richmond, TX; six grandchildren, Nicholas Foley, Erin Frazee, Joshua Frazee, Claire Gipson, William Farina and Kirby Gipson; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Richard, three infant children, her parents Wilbur and Christine Whitehead, brother Walter Whitehead, sister Irene Whitehead Robinson, and grandson Matthew Frazee. A celebration of her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on February 2, 2013, at First United Methodist Church, 1206 Smith Street, Waller, TX with Rev. Kelly McIntosh officiating. A graveside service with burial of cremains will be held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery in Nevada, IA, at a future date. The family respectfully requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Shirley’s memory to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Donor Services, P. O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202, or online at www.lls.org.