Shirley Shotwell

Shirley Imogene Plunkett Shotwell, 76, of Plano passed away Thursday, May 19, 2011, at Heritage Gardens in Carrollton. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 22, at Vaughan Cemetery with Rev. Eugene Mills of Dallas officiating.

Imogene was born April 30, 1935 in Waco, daughter of the late Tommie Lee Helton Plunkett and Julious Carl Plunkett. She was also preceded in death by her grandparents, Peyton Wallace and Roxie Hattie Miller Helton and R. L. and Grace Plunkett; aunts, Lena Mikeska and Fannie Mae Helton; mother and father-in-law, J. D. and Maurine Shotwell; and many other aunts and uncles on the Plunkett side from the Hillsboro area.

At the age of 8, Imogene lost her father. She grew up in Hillsboro until 1955, when she married Tom Shotwell. During those years, she worked at SH Kress, as well as Griffin Printing Co. in Hillsboro, and had many other jobs during Tom’s army career. She helped put her husband through college with his Bachelors at Texas A&M University and his Doctorate at LSU.

Imogene and Tom lived in Bryan, TX, Baton Rouge, LA, Charleston, MO, Charles City, IA, Farmers Branch, TX, Runaway Bay, TX, and Frisco, TX. While living in Bryan, she worked as a telephone operator and grocery clerk. She was involved with tax collection duties when in Iowa and while living in Farmers Branch for 28 years, she worked at Continental Office Supply as a bid clerk.

She loved people, playing bingo, having tea parties with neighbors and belonging to the Red Hat Society of Runaway Bay. Her husband was a past mayor of Runaway Bay. While her husband was President of Shotwell and Carr Consultants, their travels took them to Europe, Hawaii, Turkey, Finland, Morocco, Rome, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Washington, DC, and many more places. She also enjoyed the many RV trips taken in their Safari motor home.

Imogene’s most memorable moment in her life was as the mayor’s wife while participating in the Runaway Bay July 4th parade as she threw candy from a red jeep, while the Aggie War Hymn played. She and Tom had life-long friends, Carroll Don and Janice Wallace of Hurst. The couples’ rode golf carts together and were followed by Imogene’s daughter and grandchildren in a heavily decorated golf cart pulling a little red wagon. She hated to move away from the many close friends at Runaway Bay, but made some strong friendships at Parkview Senior Apartments in Frisco during her short 1 ½ years of residency there.

Imogene’s mother, Tommie, was her first love. Thomas, her loving husband, was the love of her life and her daughter, Sharon, her second love. She also loved both of her grandchildren dearly.

Survivors include her husband of 56 years and sweetheart of 61 years, Dr. Thomas Knight Shotwell of Plano; daughter, Sharon Kay Shotwell Hiss of Carrollton; and two grandchildren, Janelle Nicole Hiss and Justin Kyle Hiss both of Carrollton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Vaughan Cemetery Association, 497 HCR 3111 W Abbott, TX 76621.

Graveside Service

Sunday May 22, 2011 , 2:00 p.m. at Vaughan Cemetery