Shirley McBride

1933 - 2025

Shirley McBride
02/27/1933 - 11/15/2025
Shirley Thiac McBride passed away in Katy, Texas on Nov. 15, 2025. She enjoyed a full life of 92 years. She had many adventures and touched many along the way.
Shirley was born February 27, 1933, in Napoleonville, Louisiana to Julia Guillot Thiac and Charles Nicholas Thiac. Shirley attended Southwest Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) where she met the love of her life, Bob McBride. Bob and Shirley were both always proud of their Cajun heritage. They started their life together immediately upon graduation, saying their vows in Plattenvile, Louisiana on May 29th, 1954. After a quick year they welcomed their first child, Pat. Two years later, in 1957, Betty was born in Lafayette, and Bobby joined the family in New Orleans in 1960.
In 1960, Bob was offered an opportunity to work in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The small-town girl enthusiastically agreed to embark on what turned out to be a wonderful adventure (and her first time on an airplane!). During their three years in Guayaquil, Shirley gave birth to her 2 youngest, Sharon and Charlie. She loved her time in Guayaquil and had a wonderful group of friends who she stayed in touch with for many years.
In 1963, the family left the tropics of Ecuador and moved to Mobile, AL, and then to Baltimore, MD for 3 years. The stay in Baltimore was short but Shirley made some life-long friends there. After a quick year in Baton Rouge, the McBrides moved to Houston in 1967, and Texas would become their forever home. Shirley stayed busy shuttling kids, volunteering at church, and helping with swim team and other neighborhood activities.
Once the kids were older, Bob started his own engineering firm, McBride-Ratcliff & Associates. Shirley worked by his side during the early days of his business, which was very successful. Once things were humming along at McBride-Ratcliff, she ventured out to do her own thing. She took a job with Texas Federal Savings & Loan, later named Bright Banc. She rose through the ranks quickly, assuming the role of Vice President within a few short years. She loved her work and adored her co-workers. Shirley spearheaded the opening of banking centers in Randalls grocery stores across the Houston area, a totally new concept to consumers. She was quite successful in this endeavor!
In 1979, Shirley suffered two difficult losses. She lost her beloved father on New Year's Day that year and a few short months later lost her youngest son, Charlie. Charlie was the namesake of Shirley's dad, Charles Thiac. She leaned on her friends and family and focused on her work to ease her pain during that difficult time.
In 1980, Bob & Shirley started to move….and move they did! They went to Bellville to try the country for a while but found that the farm life was too much on top of their busy work schedules. That's when the real "go-go" years started. They went to north Houston, then to Port Aransas, then to N. Padre Island in a home on the water, where they stayed for several years. They loved it there and filled many days and nights fishing. Finally, health concerns brought them back to family in Clear Lake City, and after a few years they relocated to a senior community in Katy. During these years, Shirley faced cancer on two different occasions. Like the warrior she is, she conquered cancer both times.
Between travelling the world for fun and so many relocations, it was hard to find Bob and Shirley at times! One thing is certain, Shirley made friends everywhere she went, and valued their companionship. Throughout all the years and moves, she and Bob loved spending time with their children, and even more so their 9 grandchildren.
Shirley is preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Robert R McBride Jr. and her son, Charles Thiac McBride. She is survived by her 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. Surviving children are Pat Morgan Frazier (Pete), Betty Dunagan, Robert R McBride III (Heather) and Sharon McBride Potter (Ed). Beloved grandchildren include Mary Beth Morgan (Michael Reffit), Kathleen Morgan (Kyle Grimes), Leigh Morgan Cowan (Sean), Will Morgan, Julia Potter, Jackson Potter (Emily), Elena Potter, Kenzie Dunagan and Marissa Dunagan, and step-granddaughter, Lauren Kopal (Drew) and children Jake and Quinn. She also leaves behind her beloved great grandson Elliot Cowan.
A mass will be held Dec. 5, 2025 at 10:30 am, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, 77079 followed by a reception at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home. A private family burial will occur later, where Shirley will be laid to rest alongside her husband, Bob and their beloved son, Charlie.
We would like to thank Shirley's friends and the wonderful staff at Watercrest at Katy and Sunrise Senior Living for making Shirley's final years welcoming and full of love. We would also like to thank Bayou City Hospice making her final months and days dignified and peaceful. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Shirley's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society.