Shirley Gifford Ballard

So many memories, but one is when we had Thanksgiving at our house in Grand Prairie and had so many family come we used a 4x8 plywood for a table! Really gonna miss you!

Aunt Shirley was much more than much loved aunt; she was a role model. Some of my favorite childhood memories are my vacation visits with Shirley and Bill, as a child, as a teen, and as a young mom. From Shirley I learned compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and kindness. She is ever in my prayers. My condolences to Jill and Doug and all their families.

Doug and family, so sorry for the loss of Shirley. Prayers and thoughts during this time.

Jill, Doug and family,

Words are so inadequate to describe both the sadness of your Mother's passing and the joy knowing that she is now out of pain in the place that the Lord Jesus has prepared for her. Shirley is everything that a friend could want. She has been relentless in giving others her love and compassion the way that Jesus first loved her. Remembering back to when your Mom & Dad told my parents they had bought the house next door and were becoming neighbors, the joy my parents felt was incalculable. Needless to say, it has been a great ride for our two families. Shirley's joy, the smile and the laughter, will always be a major part of my fond memories of her. Please know that the Flynt's are with you in Spirit during this time. We pray that joy will overcome sadness, and peace will overcome the sense of loss, knowing that victory has been secured not only for your Mom, but for all of us that have joined/will join her in the presence of our Lord for all eternity.

I first met Shirley in the early 1970s when her son Doug and I were in Boy Scouts together. She had a smile on her face and embraced me into her family with open arms. Over the years since, she never seemed to lose that wonderful smile and cheerful outlook on life.

My greatest sugar rush was when I first tried one of her infamous Dream Bars, but there wasn't anything that came from her kitchen that wasn't scrumptious or soaked in her love! When she wasn't baking, it seems that she was always working on some type of craft or painting something. She was a very creative person who found a multitude of ways to express her talents. But, I think it was her family that she loved the most and got the most joy from.

It was easy to remember her over the years since our birthdays were only a day apart, and her memory will always live on within me. I'm sad about her passing, but my life has been greatly enhanced by her presence.