Shirley Margaret English

Jul 4, 1925 -

Oct 2, 2021

Shirley Margaret English (Nelson) was born at home on July 4, 1925 to parents Iner and Adeline Nelson. As a child, she lived with her sisters, Jackie and Janet, in a house that her father had built on Seattle's Magnolia Bluff. She rode her horse, Babe, on the beach, picked apples from the neighbors' trees, and discovered a passion for singing. In 1940, Iner's job with the Army Corps of Engineers brought the family North to Anchorage, Alaska. Whilst there, a 15-year-old Shirley attended Anchorage High School and fell in love with Alaska's magnificent landscapes. However, the entrance of the United States into WWII sent Shirley and her mother and sisters abruptly back to Seattle aboard a steamer with its windows and lights blacked out. But alas, Shirley was unable to shake the call of the last frontier. In her own words, Alaska contained "a certain magic that in spite of its harshness [kept] tugging at the heart and calling [her] home." At the age of 20, Shirley returned to Alaska where she studied English at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and fell in love for a second time. Shirley met William Deshay English (Bill), a bush pilot and her future husband of 72 years, as he landed and stepped out of his single engine bush plane at Weeks Field. The couple married in 1948 at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Fairbanks. For the next few years, Shirley wrote and edited news stories from around the Alaskan bush for the KFAR radio show, Tundra Topics, while Bill flew in and out of those same communities. In 1949, Shirley and Bill had their first child, Sharon, followed by their son, William Jr. (Billy) in 1950. From 1953-1957, Shirley juggled the demands of being a mother while also teaching literature and composition at UAF. Sharon remembers her mother as warm, graceful, and creative- —up early every morning, cooking hearty breakfasts for her children, then diving into the rest of her day, teaching and writing. In 1957, Shirley returned to Seattle with Sharon and Bill Jr. and earned a master's degree in English from the UW. In 1968, Shirley and Bill had their third child, Tamara, and in 1970 they moved back to Anchorage where they would reside for the next 50 years. It was in Anchorage that Shirley pursued her passion for music. Her first album, "Diamonds in the Snow," was followed by "Alaska: Land of Beyond" and later "Land of Wild Roses." Shirley's operatic voice and her classic folk style combined to create poignant expressions of love for Alaska and those close to her. During this same time, Shirley contributed to the founding of Northern Lights ABC school in 1978. She was passionate about education and believed in its ability to empower and nourish Alaskan youth. She was also an active member of the Pioneers of Alaska. In recent years, Shirley lived with Alzheimer's disease. However, thanks to the devotion of Sharon and Bill Jr., Shirley was incredibly well cared-for during the final years of her life. She died on Oct. 2, 2021 in the comfort of her home. She was preceded in death by her parents, Iner and Adeline; her daughter, Dr. Tamara Pickett; and her sister, Jackie. Shirley is survived by her husband, Bill; her children, Sharon and Bill Jr.; her sister, Janet; and her grandchildren, Gretta and Wiley, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was the embodiment of kindness, creativity, and a peacefulness that radiated outward. She will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved her. Funeral events will be deferred until a later time due to the current COVID-19 outbreak.