George Frederick Shirley

A resident of Oro Valley, Arizona since 1995, George F. Shirley passed away on July 1, 2009 after a battle with colon cancer. Born in Seattle, he was the only child of the marriage of Oregonian George F. Shirley Sr. and Virginia Marquette Shirley, who was from Kentucky. After his father died, George's mother married William A. Haseltine of Portland, Oregon and George acquired three older siblings, Sally, Bill Jr. and Jim Haseltine, who survive him today. George lived in Oregon for much of his life and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1957. However, following graduation, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he began work in a family business owned by his grandfather. Then, a few years later, he enrolled in the University of Louisville Law School, completing his law studies there in 1963. He was admitted to the Kentucky bar that same year. In 1965 he returned to Portland, Oregon where he began a twenty-nine year career as an administrative attorney with the Nationwide Insurance Companies at their Portland regional office. During his years with Nationwide he also completed the exams for the professional insurance designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, and later served as President of the Oregon Chapter of that Society. After retirement, he moved to the Tucson area where, among other activities, he was a docent at Tohono Chul Park and was also a member of the board of the Friends of The University of Arizona Libraries. In addition to enjoying the Arizona desert climate, George liked to take classes at the U of A during his retirement and as a result he wound up earning a degree from the University of Arizona in 2005, when he was seventy years old. George Shirley was married and divorced twice and is survived by three loving daughters, Tory Shirley and Steph McGuigan, who both live in the Portland, Oregon area and Jennifer Shirley of Brooklyn, New York. He has five grandchildren and one step-grandson. Services will be private. The family suggest that donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Friends of The University Libraries/ U of A Foundation, PO Box 210055, Tucson, AZ 85721-0055.