SHIRLEY WILLIAMS POUNCEY

Shirley Williams Pouncey of Germantown, was born November 7, 1948 to Frank Bryan and Dorothy Shirley Williams in Jackson, MS. She passed away at home on August 19, 2015 surrounded by family. Shirley graduated in 1966 from Murrah High School in Jackson. She earned a degree in early childhood education from the University of Mississippi where she was a member and officer in Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She taught three years in the Atlanta Public School System, then earned a Master Degree in education from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 1976 she was employed by the Shelby County School System serving as a kindergarten/first grade teacher at Riverdale Elementary School in 1976 until retirement in 2001. Upon retirement, she entered the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Baltimore, MD, receiving a certificate in Spiritual Direction. She leaves her husband of nearly 25 years, Andy Pouncey and their adopted children, Kate and her husband, Brett Rosson of Oxford, MS and grandchildren, Barron and Southerlin; her mother, Dorothy; her brother, Bryan; her aunts, Faye Bishop and Mary Warren McSwain; cousins, their cat, Oslo and a family of friends throughout Tennessee, Mississippi and the Church of the Holy Communion. Family meant so much to Shirley. They had a corner from her great-grandmother’s 1850 log cabin in their den. Shirley enjoyed her church where she was a member of the Order of the Daughters of the King, the Gailor Guild, and a Stephen Minister. She was a member of PEO-Chapter AA, a PEO Supper Club, a Church Supper Club, and the Winettes. Andy and Shirley supported and were a host family for IRIS Orchestra member Peter Kolkay and others for 15 years. Peter was like a son to her. She loved life, history, gardening and traveled the world with her husband from China to New Zealand and Norway. She supported her husband’s passion for WWI. She is preceded in death by her father, Frank Bryan Williams, Sr. and her sister, Patti Williams. The family is grateful to the the West Clinic and University of Alabama at Birmingham- Dr. Ronald Alvarez, Comfort Keepers and Crossroads Hospice for their support and assistance in her fight against cancer - Ververly, Adrianne, Ruby, Hope, Wilma, Patrice and Heather became part of the family. The family requests that in lieu of flowers that any memorial donations be sent to: Holy Communion Episcopal Church (4645 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, TN 38117); The Germantown Education Foundation (1930 Germantown Road S.), the IRIS Orchestra (1801 Exeter Rd., Germantown, TN 38138) or the American Cancer Society Mid-South Division (1378 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104). A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, August 29 at the Church of the Holy Communion (corner of Walnut Grove and Perkins) in Memphis with visitation beginning at 12:30 p.m. She will be interred in Collums Cemetery near Houlka, MS in the fall.