E. R. TRACY Shirley III

E.R. "Tracy" Shirley III of Newcastle, OK passed away Thursday, May 31, 2012 while returning home from a business trip to Florida. He was born on August 14, 1958 in Chula Vista, CA. He was the 2nd child of four children born to Earl Roy Shirley Jr. and Charolet Lu (Leiblie) Shirley. Tracy grew up in Blackwell, OK where he graduated from high school in the class of 1976. After H.S. he attended one year of college at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. He then attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK where he received his BS degree. Tracy later met and married the love of his life, Shari Glae Parker, a young lady from Ardmore, OK. They were married on January 7, 1984. A few years later, Tracy went back to school to get his MBA at the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. In 1991 he was employed with Dixie yarns Company of Chattanooga, TN as the controller of the threads division. In 1999 he moved back to Oklahoma and went to work with his brother-in-law, Russ Harrison at Harrison Gypsum Co. He was currently the CFO and Vice President of the company. In 2000, his family moved to Newcastle, OK where he became active in his community, his church and various organizations. Tracy was a member of the OCAST Board, Leadership Oklahoma Class 19, a Cub Scout Master of Troop 231 in Newcastle, a charter member of the Newcastle School Education Foundation, the Newcastle Planning Commission and an Adjunct Professor at OBU. Tracy's favorite hobby and passion was running. He had run over 31 marathons including the Boston Marathon and helped start the "Remember the Ten Run" at Stillwater, OK. All of the above things were simply platforms for who Tracy was as a person. He loved life and he loved people. Family always came first - Shari, Parker and Jeff were the light of his life. He was a constant source of fun, and everyone who knew him has a favorite Tracy story. He had the gift of gab his late Father Sam liked to say. While listening with great interest to your own story, he knew how to make you feel like you were the most special person in the room. In a sea of Shirley clowns, Tracy was the one with the rainbow wig and the floppy big shoes. He was a source of inspiration and encouragement whether it was a friend in chemo or a fellow runner who had hit the wall at the 22nd mile. He embodied the word perseverance, never quitting even when the hills were steep and the blisters enormous. He was an avid reader, enjoyed traveling and woodworking. Tracy's faith, family, work, and friends were the things most important to him. He will be remembered as a wonderful husband, a loving father, a special son and brother and a dear friend to all who knew him. He was preceded in death by: His father: Sam Shirley He is survived by: Wife: Shari Shirley of the home in Newcastle OK Two Sons: Parker and Jeff Shirley also of the home Mother: Charolet Shirley and husband Vernon Day of OKC Brother: Nathan Shirley and wife Diana of Singapore Two sisters: Natalie Shirley and husband Russ Harrison of OKC Leslie Shirley and husband Joe Atamaniuk of Ringwood, NJ Mother-in-Law Norma Parker Also several nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends Funeral services will be 3pm Friday, June 8, 2012 at the First Baptist Church in Newcastle, OK. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Newcastle School Education Foundation, P.O. Box 105, Newcastle, OK 73065 or to the "Remember the Ten Run", 060 Student Union Box 1006, Stillwater,OK 74076.

E. R. TRACY Shirley III

August 14, 1958 - May 31, 2012