Shirley Kay Carpenter

Passed away March 16, 2014 at Sacred Heart Medical Center after a sudden illness, with family by her side. Shirley was born April 1, 1939 in Spokane Washington. She lived with her parents in Omak, Washington for the first years of life. The family moved to Spokane in the mid 1940s. She graduated from Rogers High School in 1957. She lived in Seattle for a few years, and in California for a brief period. Her mother was a teacher and she studied for that career, but decided it wasn’t for her. She did work for the railroad for some years, the same lifetime career of her father. She left the railroad and worked 19 years for Inland Power and Light, retiring in 1994. Shirley belonged to a retired railroad workers group. She attended Creston Community Days every year. She had a special place in her heart for the place her mother came from and would return to reconnect with distant relatives and others who had known her grandparents. She attended the birthday celebrations of a large circle of friends over the years. She loved the Big Band music of the 1930s and 1940s. Her favorite styles were also from that era. She was a season ticket holder of the Spokane Civic Theater. In the warmer months she went on the historic homes tours, and the garden tours. She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by cousins in Oregon and Montana, and many friends, all of whom miss her greatly.

A memorial service will be held Monday March 24, at 11:00 am with a reception to follow at Thornhill Valley Chapel, 1400 S Pines Rd. An inurnment service will take place at 2:00 pm at Greenwood Memorial Terrace, 211 N. Government Way, Spokane, WA.