Shirley Silvernail Obituary

Shirley Spence Silvernail

Shreveport, LA- Shirley Spence Silvernail, 81, died at home in Shreveport, LA, on August 1, 2015. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1934 to Malcolm L. and Mildred R. Spence. She moved to Shreveport at an early age and attended Caddo Parish schools; graduating from C. E. Byrd in 1952. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Centenary College. Shirley then moved to New Orleans and lived there for approximately fifty years, first teaching in the Orleans Parish school system. She later earned her Masters of Library Science from the University of Oklahoma. Her last employment was as upper school librarian at Metairie Park Country Day school. She married John Silvernail in 1975; they were married for forty years. Since 2001 Shirley had suffered from the affects of strokes. Shirley and John evacuated from New Orleans in 2005 just ahead of Katrina. The flood caused by the failure of the levees severely damaged their home- they never lived in it again. She and John moved to Shreveport in 2006 into a home on high ground.

Shirley was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her husband, John, her daughter, Ellen S. Poteet of Ann Arbor, MI; her stepdaughter, Ruth S. Robertson of Wauwatosa, WI; three step-granddaughters, one step-grandson and two step-great grandchildren as well as several cousins.

The family thanks Jeanetta Gates as well as sitters from Companion Home Services and the nurses from St. Joseph Hospice for their help and loving care of Shirley for many months prior to her death.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2015 in the chapel of Centuries Memorial Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Centuries Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 9-11 a.m. prior to the service.

You may share words of comfort with the family by visiting www.centuriesmemorialfh.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Shreveport Times from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for Shirley Silvernail

6 Entries

August 7, 2015

Dear John,

We send our sincerest condolences. We have missed you and Shirley as our neighbors, but our memories of time before katrina are special and always with us. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Jeff, Hope, and sons

August 6, 2015

Dear John & Family,
My deepest sympathy for the lost of Shirley. My prayers are with you at this difficult time. John, you have always been there with Shirley through her long illness. God will bless you for being a devoted husband.
Roman Matranga (Slidell, LA)

James M. Farr

August 4, 2015

Dear John,

As you know, Hurricane Katrina caused major changes to almost every church family in the New Orleans area.
Christ Church Cathedral was surely one of them. Many of the communicants left the City permanently but also many relocated to other churches in the City.
As long time communicants, your and Shirley's contributions to the Christ Church Catherdral family were significant and heart felt. You have both been sincerely missed for sure.

When the Carrs had recently finished their last book, there was a book signing at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Mandeville. My friend Louis and I frequent the bookstore for coffee and scones. We noticed on the day of the book signing that there seemed to be a lot of people that we recognized wandering through the aisles of books. Well. low and behold, I got everyone together and it was like Old Home Week!!! All of us were part of the body of the Church at CCC. Sadly some of those people have also passed away.

Anyway, please accept my sympathy on Shirley's passing; you are in my thoughts and prayers.

James M. Farr, AIA

Lisa Bowen

August 4, 2015

John, I am so sorry for your loss. I never met Shirley but you are such a wonderful man, she must have been wonderful, too. Again, my sincerest condolences.

Richard Liles

August 4, 2015

Mr. Silvernail,
I would like to extend my condolences at your time of loss

Janet Aimer Barlow

August 3, 2015

Shirley and I were close friends in elementary school, but somehow lost contact in later years. I have thought of her often, and wish I had known that she was back in Shreveport. I have fond memories of her sweet mother.
I send my sincere sympathy to
her family.

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