Shirley Ann Hurley

Shirley Ann Hurley passed away at her home on November 29, 2024 surrounded by her caregivers, and her husband of 62 years, Jim Hurley. Shirley Ann was born on February 14th (Valentine’s Day), 1941 in Royston, Georgia to Shirley Thornton Sherrill and Mary Lea Bryce Sherrill. As a child she moved with her family to Boston where her father received his Divinity Degree as a Methodist Minister. The family then moved to San Francisco for a few years, then to Selma, California and then to Santa Rosa, California, where she met her husband, Jim, in the 7th grade. After graduating from Santa Rosa High School in 1958, Shirley Ann attended Stanford University on a scholarship and graduated in 1962. Jim went to Berkeley and, after dating during their senior year, they were married on September 1st , 1962. Shirley Ann attended San Francisco State to get her teaching credential, and initially taught high school at age 22 at Balboa High School in San Francisco.

Once Jim received his law degree and passed the Bar, they moved to Santa Barbara in 1966, where she, for a while, taught at Santa Barbara High School and Junior High. She taught English and History. Their son, James H. Hurley, III, was born in 1968, and their daughter Elizabeth (“Lisa”) Alison Hurley was born in 1971.

Once the children were older, Shirley Ann devoted her life to her great love, which was charitable work to help other people. She worked assiduously raising money for CALM, Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation, and especially the Family Service Agency. In 2017, Shirley Ann was honored by the Family Service Agency at a reception on Padaro Lane. Besides raising money for these charities, she taught cooking to the disadvantaged at the Wake Center.

She was named Santa Barbara Woman of the Year in 1990. She also received the reward of “1000 Points of Light” from President George H.W. Bush.

Shirley Ann loved her First United Methodist Church, and attended there for over 50 years, singing in the choir.

In addition to her charity work, Shirley Ann enjoyed traveling with her husband. Jim, a paratrooper, traveled all over the world parachuting with different airborne personnel. In so doing, Shirley Ann became the first American woman to ever parachute with the Russian Army. She also did a parachute jump in Holland, and travelled to Tunisia and South Africa with Jim.

Shirley Ann was preceded in death by her parents many years ago and recently by her sister, Adrienne Cupples. She is survived by her sister, Linda Sherrill, her husband, Jim Hurley, her son, James Hurley, her daughter, Lisa Baker (David Baker), and two grandchildren, Matthew Baker and Natalia Baker.

There will be a Memorial Service held for Shirley Ann on Thursday, January 23rd at 1:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church on Garden Street, in Santa Barbara. A reception will immediately follow at The Valley Club of Montecito.

Gifts in honor of Shirley Ann may be made to the Legacy Fund of the First United Methodist Church or the Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara.