Shirley Janet Hammil

Her family moved to Parkston, South Dakota, where she attended and graduated from Parkston High School in 1954. She attended the University of South Dakota where she met and married John (Jack) Max Hammil. After relocating to Richland, Washington, she finished her degree in Elementary Education at Central Washington State University. While in Washington she had two sons, J.D. and Jim. In 1965 the family moved to Dublin, California. And in 1969 they relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where she resided until her death.

Shirley taught and directed the preschool program at the YWCA for 12 years. She then started the preschool program at the YMCA where she taught and directed for an additional 10 years. Shirley authored the “It’s Child’s Play” curriculum, an early childhood teaching curriculum. She sold and distributed her curriculum internationally. In 1991 she retired from the YMCA and began a new venture known as Shirley’s Puppets, where she performed puppet shows that entertained young children thoughout Oklahoma City.

Shirley attended Church of the Savior where she sang in the choir for over 20 years, taught Sunday school, and served multiple terms as a church Elder. Her hobbies included RVing, Square Dancing, Bowling, Puppetry, Reading, Drawing and Painting.

Shiley had moved to an Assisted Living facility in 2013 and enjoyed her final years making new friends. Shirley was preceeded in death by her husband Jack, and leaves a son, J.D. Hammil, his wife Beth, and grandsons Bradley and Zachary of Frisco, TX. She also leaves a son, Jim Hammil, his wife Jane, and grandsons Jacob and Joshua of Wichita, KS, and a sister, Janis Leischner of Oklahoma City, OK.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, April 22nd at 3:00 PM at Church of the Savior, 5600 NW 63rd Street in Oklahoma City, OK. Memorial donations may be given to Church of the Savior or the American Diabetes Association in her honor.