Shirley M. McConnell

May 12, 1928 - September 30, 2011

Shirley M. McConnell Obituary (Age 83) Born May 13, 1928 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Shirley passed away September 30, 2011 in Spokane, WA. Shirley moved to Spokane as a teenager and lived here the rest of her life. She married Paul McConnell in May of 1947. She worked as a seamstress for many years and later became a medical transcriptionist at Sacred Heart Hospital and Rockwood Clinic from where she retired. Shirley volunteered as a Girl Scout Leader for several years. As an active member of the Shadle Park Band Parents group, she organized and cooked for spaghetti feeds for the Telephone Pioneers of America. Shirley worked closely with Koats 4 Kids in its infancy, helping organize the distribution of coats. She and a group of Telephone Pioneers crocheted and knitted hats to be distributed with the coats. After retirement, she volunteered at Deaconess Medical Center administering hearing tests to newborns. Paul and Shirley enjoyed traveling and took three cruises together. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Anina and James Gallagher; her brother, James Gallagher; and two sisters, Beverly Shaulis and Dorothy Davis. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Paul W. McConnell; her three children, Paula Runyan; Nancy Sauer and husband Rick, and Gary McConnell and wife Kathy, all from Spokane; eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; her sister Wanda Radford, Issaquah; and brother Norman Gallagher, Spokane. A time of visitation will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on Saturday, October 8 from 10 am to 5 pm and again on Monday, October 10 from 9 am to 5 pm. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, October 11 at 2 pm at Heritage Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Fairmount Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Spokane, P.O. Box 2215, Spokane, WA 99210-2215