Obituary of Lois Shirley

CAYCE: Lois F. Shirley, 97, died January 30, 2013, peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 2, 2013, at State Street Baptist Church, officiated by Dr. Pete Cassidy and Dr. Tommy Pillow. A private burial will be held in Celestial Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until time of service at the church. A Celebration of Life will follow the service. Born in a room over her father's store on State Street in Cayce, SC, Lois was the first child of the late Thomas Memory Floyd and Bessie Nesbitt Floyd. Mr. Floyd was a charter member of State Street Baptist Church where Lois and her family attended church for more than 60 years. Around the age of 6, Lois was surprised with a gift of a self-player piano from her father and the rest is history. Lois' love for studying and performing music grew into a lifelong career of teaching and entertaining others. Known throughout Cayce as "Mrs. Music," she was privileged to entertain for such dignitaries as: President Ronald Reagan, Honorable James F. Byrnes and Senator Strom Thurmond. Lois taught piano lessons to hundreds of students over the years. In addition, she played the organ and piano for countless luncheons, charity events, weddings, funerals, churches, civic organizations, business conventions and statewide events that included: The South Carolina State Fair, beauty pageants, and numerous political rallies. Known for her song writing abilities, Mrs. Shirley scored the theme songs for numerous beauty pageants including "Miss Dixie U.S.A." for the Miss Dixie Pageant in Daytona, FL, as well as "The Queen of Hearts Theme" and the "Miss Southern 500" theme. Throughout her life, Mrs. Shirley held membership in a number of local, state, and national civic and professional organizations that included The S.C. Music Educators, The National Guild of Piano Teachers, The American College of Musicians, The Women's Symphony Association of the Columbia Philharmonic Orchestra, The Cayce Civinetes, and countless others. She also held charter membership in numerous community service clubs, including the American Legion Auxiliary, Cayce Post # 130. She was a member of the State Street Baptist Church, The Bethany Sunday School Class, The Hannah Plowden Group, and the Women's Missionary Union. Mrs. Shirley became the organist at State Street Baptist Church when it was founded in 1941 and continued for over 55 years. She has also provided piano accompaniment for various choirs and singing groups within the church. Mrs. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 64 years, James Fletcher Shirley; their two sons, James F. Shirley, Jr., and Thomas W. Shirley; and her brother, T.M. Floyd, Jr., and her sister, Emily Floyd Price. Surviving are: her only granddaughter, musician and vocalist, Teilah C. Shirley; nieces, Dell Price and Patsy Stegall; daughter-in-law, Marian Shirley Jones; and her adoptive son, James Taylor all of Cayce; sisters-in-law, Edith Shirley of Cayce, Yvonne Floyd of Greenville; also surviving are nieces, cousins, and friends. Mrs. Shirley will be missed by many. Special thanks to caregivers, Robin Sharpe, James Taylor, and SouthernCare Hospice Services, for their loving care of Lois. Memorials may be made to the State Street Baptist Church, 1420 State St., Cayce, SC 29033.