Shirley Ann Fishback

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Shirley Ann Fishback, age 89, of Darien, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 16, 2022, while being cared for at the Senior Care Center in Brunswick, GA.
Shirley was born in Dixon, MO, on January 2, 1933. She was preceded in death by her husband Burney (Roy) LeRoy Fishback, Jr., her parents Edward Marion Adams and Beatrice Nadine Adams. She is survived by her loving children, one son and one daughter and their spouses: Ed and Tammy Fishback of Centralia, MO; Fran and Brian Wills of Darien, GA.
She is also survived by five wonderful grandchildren and their spouses: Elizabeth and Brian Jacobi; Stephanie and Jamie Stansell; Eric Wills; Ben Wills and Rebecca Manning; Ashley and Daniel Force. She also leaves her nine adored great grandchildren: Caleb, Ethan and Benjamin Jacobi; Matthew and Nicholas Swartz; Savannah and Michael Stansell; Miles and Otto Force. Nephews Glenn and David Davidson; Harold Shaw and nieces Leah Davidson; Nancy and Peggy Shaw also survive her.
Shirley was a graduate of Paris High School in Paris, MO; attended William Woods College in Fulton, MO; and graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD, where she was also a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

After graduation, Shirley was a high school teacher in Eleuthera, Bahamas and Corpus Christi, TX, while Roy was on active duty with the Navy until his resignation and their return to Perry, MO, in 1960. She taught home economics at Mark Twain High School for 30 years mentoring and inspiring students to be their best until her retirement in 1990. Throughout her teaching career she participated in home visits to build stronger relationships with her students and their parents. She founded the Future Homemakers of America (FHA) chapter at Mark Twain, was an active member of the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) and the Missouri Retired Teacher Association (MRTA).
Shirley also did bookkeeping for Mark Twain Publishers, Roy’s family business, that published The Perry Enterprise, The Center Herald, and the Ralls County Herald-Record. In 2016, she and Roy were awarded The Key to the City of Perry in recognition of their lifelong service to their community. She was a member of the Perry and Vandalia Presbyterian Churches, belonged to the Wednesday Club and Embla Club and enjoyed playing in several local bridge clubs.
In her later years, Shirley worked as a substitute teacher for the Ralls County School District and at Blackjack Marina where she enjoyed sailing Restf’l on Mark Twain Lake with her family and friends. In 2016, she and Roy moved to Darien, GA, near her daughter, where she was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. Shirley was friendly, warm and generous, always ready to lend support and a helping hand. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, word searches, hummingbirds and cardinals. She was an avid St. Louis Baseball Cardinals fan and even traveled to attend Spring Training Camp in Florida when she was 87.
Services will be held at The First Baptist Church, 509 E. Salling St, Perry, on Saturday, November 19, 2022. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Memorial Service from 1-2 p.m. Graveside services for immediate family will be held afterward.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Shirley Ann Fishback Memorial Fund for Susan G Komen http://www.info-komen.org/goto/Shirley_Fishback to support breast cancer research.