Shirley Mae Whitecotton

Shirley Mae Crews Whitecotton passed away on February 27, 2024. She was 79 years young, living in Amarillo, Texas.

Shirley was born on October 12, 1944, to Leonard and Pearl Crews, in Tucumcari, NM. She was raised in Hudson, NM, a little community outside of Tucumcari on Highway 54, and graduated from Tucumcari High School. She attended Eastern New Mexico University and earned her bachelor’s degree in education. While in college, she married and later gave birth to a daughter, Michele Whitecotton, of Fort Worth, TX. She worked a few part-time jobs for the next several years so she could stay home to raise Michele. Later, she began a job at the Amarillo Public Library where she worked for over 30 years until her retirement. It was at the library where she met the second love of her life, Mike.

Everyone who interacted with Shirley knew how much she loved books. It was not uncommon for her to read an entire book in a day or two. She also loved anything related to Egypt, genealogy, and perusing cookbooks. She could also keep a secret better than anyone else.

Shirley is preceded in death by her partner, Mike McAtee; her parents, Leonard and Pearl Crews; her aunts and uncles, Lela Moore, Elmo Wilms, Mary Wilms, Stella Stroud, Robert Lee Wilms, Pearline Wilms, and Lula Mae Wilms; her cousins, Charles and Bronson Moore, and a rascal of a cousin, Corrine Yohn.

Shirley is survived by her daughter, Michele Whitecotton, her cousin Duane Moore (Linda), and her cousin-in-law, Sue Moore. And last but not least, her beloved 4-legged daughter, a Boston Terrier.

Her burial will take place at a later date at the Hudson Cemetery, outside of Tucumcari, along Hwy 54.

If you wish to make a donation in her memory, she requested donations be made to your local ASPCA.