Shirley Anne Sinclair

Shirley Anne Sinclair passed away peacefully on January 24th 2023.

Born July 23rd 1935 to Maj. Carlton and Marie Hodges, at the Station Hospital at March Field (eventually renamed as March Air Force Base) she was the middle of three daughters.

For the first 18 years of her life, she traveled the country with her family as her father served in the U.S Army, Army Air Corps and the U.S. Air Force. She lived in The Territory of Alaska during the early years of World War II followed by stays in Florida, Indiana, Texas and back to California again.

In 1954 she married a Marine Corps Private, Watson Ray Sinclair Jr. And moved to the Territory of Hawaii where she gave birth to her daughter Sheila Marie. A year and a half later she moved to California and gave birth to her son Jack Eldon. Although the marriage ended shortly thereafter, she always expressed how much she loved being a mom. With the help of her supportive parents, she started her life as a single working mom; not a common situation in the late '50s. She initially worked as a switchboard operator for AT&T and then joined the Riverside County government working in several different departments including marriage licenses, passports, adoptions, and naturalizations. Her last 20 years she worked with the County Courts of Riverside, both Juvenile and Adult, as a County Clerk before retiring in the late 1990's. She made many enduring friendships with her colleagues.

She was known for her quick wit and fantastic sense of humor. She loved games of all sorts and could always make you feel special and loved. She was dearly loved by her children and grandchildren and she will be greatly missed.

Her special joy was getting to spend time with her grandchildren, whom she had many fun adventures with!

She was preceded in death by her devoted parents, Carl and Marie Hodges, her loving sisters, Nancy Leland and Carlene Brown and her sweet and funny granddaughter Jamie Sinclair.

She is survived by her children, Sheila and Jack, three grandchildren Danae Sands, Noel Sinclair Boyt and Heather Fernstrom, and four great-grandchildren.