Shirley Appy

1927 - 2023

Shirley Appy

Amherst, MA - Shirley Appy, an actor and a pioneer in the early days of live television, died peacefully on January 6 at 95. Since 2009, she was a resident of Applewood, an independent living retirement community in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she welcomed countless visitors, family, and friends.

Appy was born Shirley Joy Krehbiel in Colfax, Washington on July 10, 1927. After graduating from Grant High School in Portland, Oregon, she received a full scholarship from the School of Drama at the University of Washington where she gave more than 600 performances. In 1949 she married Gerard L. Appy, also a drama major at Washington.

After a brief stint running a new radio station in Colby, Kansas, the couple moved to Atlanta, Georgia to open The Penthouse Theatre, located on the top floor of the Ansley Hotel. It was modeled on the Penthouse Theatre at the University of Washington-the first theatre-in-the-round in the United States. The Atlanta theater flourished for three years and Appy, under the stage name Shirley Krayble, appeared in many of its plays alongside well-known actors such as Joan Blondell, Mike Todd, Marjorie Reynolds, and Zero Mostel.

In 1951, Appy turned to television. For several years she was the host of two daily live shows, "The Little People," in which she interacted with a handful of pre-schoolers, and "Shopping Atlanta," a consumer advice show.

Appy ended her television career to be a full-time mother to her two children. In 1964, the family moved to Westport, Connecticut where she increasingly turned her attention to a wide variety of creative pursuits. A gifted artist, craftsperson, and gardener, she produced award-winning works in stained glass, decoupage, and watercolors.

In 1981, Appy and her husband moved back to the Northwest where Mr. Appy became the Director of Oregon Public Broadcasting. For Shirley, it was a return to her childhood hometown.

She is survived by her two children, Karen Baumann and Christian Appy, their spouses Stephen Baumann and Katherine Appy, seven grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.