Shirley Lee Brown

Shirley Lee Wray Brown, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on March 25, 2020. Shirley was born on November 27, 1934 in Rupert, Idaho to Grover Nathaniel Wray and Birdice Irene Wheeler Wray, the eighth of nine children. She spent her childhood in Irwin, Idaho where her family operated a cheese factory. She attended school in Irwin and graduated from Ririe High School. She also studied at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. It was in sixth grade at the Irwin two-room school where she met the boy that would become her husband, Norris Charles Brown. Shirley and Norris were married on July 28, 1954 in the Idaho Falls Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the parents of five children, Gloria (Dave) Stoker, Chubbuck; Kelly (Rose) Brown, Corvallis, OR; Kirk (Ruth) Brown, Vancouver, WA; Kory (Pam) Brown, Puyallup, WA; and Kendall (Mindy) Brown, South Jordan, UT. They also have been blessed with 18 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Shirley and Norris spent the first 18 years of their marriage living in various cities in Utah and Idaho. After moving to Pocatello in 1972, they built a home in Chubbuck in 1974 where Shirley lived for the past 46 years. Paramount in Shirleys life was the care of her husband and children. She loved to nurture and help her children in every way. Shirley and Norris also served as foster parents for 20+ years, taking in well over 100 infants and small children for extended periods of time. Shirley operated a day care in her home as well for many years. She loved all of those children and in recent years as the effects of age clouded her mind, she would often ask about the babies. Shirley was a life-long active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many callings, spending many years working in the Primary, serving children. Shirley is survived by her husband and children, as well as her brother Darrell. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Rex, Jerry, and Darwin, and her sisters Lela, Maxine, Phyllis, and Darlene. No public services will be held at this time. She will be buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Riverside, Idaho. The family wishes to thank The Gables and Encompass Hospice for the loving care they gave Shirley in the final weeks of her life.