This post was copied and pasted from the rosemary58.com website (run by Jim McConaughy). It was written by Diane McChesney (Parfitt). Shirley Hughes passed away on 3/16/20 after bravely battling brain cancer gleo-glastoma. 

SHIRLEY HUGHES REESE (December 14, 1945-March 16, 2020)

Shirley and I met at Chevy Chase Elementary School, more affectionately known as Rosemary. She was spunky and fun-loving and always seemed happy. Most of the girls in our classes were pretty well behaved, but Shirley was always getting into trouble. One time, when she was particularly misbehaving, I told her she was a JD. She looked at me quizzically and asked, “What’s that?” I told her that it means juvenile delinquent. She laughed and went on her way and that was that.

We didn’t have much contact in junior high school. We re-connected in high school. We would see each other every so often and we frequently talked about this and that. She still prided herself in being a bit of a misfit. But I saw something else. Underneath that somewhat eccentric outside was a very dear, sweet person. Shirley was always nice and I finally told her, “You know, you really are a nice person.”  I know she took this in the spirit it was intended, but I never knew whether it made any difference to her or not.

Until over 30 years later. I had not seen Shirley since graduation from BCC. One day I was on my way out the door and my phone rang. It was Shirley Hughes! She asked if I remembered her and I said of course. For some reason she has always stayed in my memory. I may not have remembered details, but I always remembered the name Shirley Hughes. I could not imagine why she was calling me. We chatted about what we were up to and our families and children. What a walk down memory lane. Still, I was wondering why she called me.

 She finally said, “Diane, I just wanted to call you and tell you that you saved my life.”

Wow, I was stunned. I could not imagine what she was talking about. Not knowing what to say, I just said, “Really?”

Shirley then said, “Do you remember in high school when you told me I was really a nice person?”

Of course! She really was a nice person. She said I was the first person who told her that. That blew me away. What child gets to be a teenager and no one has told them they were nice? I’m sure her family did but we all need to hear positive things from others.

So Shirley was on a mission to share positive words.

We did not connect again until our Rosemary Reunion in 2015. And was Shirley the life of the party. She was fun, exuberant, full of fun stories and a delight to be with. She was asked to speak at the assembly the school did for us and the whole school was there. All the children and teachers to listen to a bunch of old guys and gals regale them with stories of going to their school over 50 years before. Shirley stole the show with her story about the slide and the dress! Since I didn’t remember that story and I laughed as hard as she did. She shared the spirit of her big heart and her love for life.

After that glorious reunion, Shirley and I stayed in touch. And then she came East and we were able to get together. We had lunch and I showed her around our Downtown. We had such a good time. She was her same bubbly self, a really nice person.

In July, when she was diagnosed with the brain tumor, so many people in her world were heartbroken. But Shirley was not going to let us give in to those negative feelings. She stood up to the disease and took the challenge. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones and used that spirit she had all those years to give it the good fight. We did stay in touch a bit, but mostly through the Lotsa Healing Hands website that her dear daughter Deanna set up. It was comforting to hear updates on how Shirley was doing and to send messages her way.

Towards the end Shirley maintained her spirit and made the decision to forgo further treatment when it was no longer effective. She spent her last days surrounded by her loving family and friends. What more can we all hope for?

Thank you Shirley Hughes for being in my life. Thank you for being the girl that became the woman who we were able to reconnect with. Thank you for being such a nice person.

Remembrances and photos have been posted on her Shirley's Facebook page, Shirley Hughes Reese, by her daughter Deanna Fernandes. Condolences can be sent to Shirley's address: 2331 Catalina Drive, Sacramento, CA 95864.