Shirley Butler Whitley, 81, of Gloucester, Virginia, gained her angel wings on Friday, March 24, 2023, surrounded by her loved ones. She was born on May 17, 1941 in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the daughter of the late Marion and Mildred Butler. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Joyce Gardner; her brother, Melvin Butler; a brother-in-law, Reavis Griffin, and a great-granddaughter, Alexis Yawin. She graduated from Great Bridge High School in June 1959. She married William Whitley Jr. (Jack) in September 1959. She was the voice of Whitley Electric for many years. She retired from Whitley Electric two years ago.
She adored her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and loved sharing something wonderful about each one to whomever was around. Not a day went by where she didn’t talk about how much her children and family meant to her— her family was arguably her most important achievement in life. She was immensely proud of each and every one.
She is survived by her husband, William Whitley Jr.; her sister, Betty Griffin; a son, William Whitley III (Elizabeth); three daughters, Debbie Longest (George), Diane Whitley, and Ammie Barbee (Randy); 12 grandchildren, Jennifer Staupe (Brian), John Crosby (Allie), Thomas Crosby (Stephanie), Bryan Longest, Marc Longest (Heather), Michele Wells, Sarah Whitley, William David Whitley (Shanna Franklin), Shanna Longest, Greg Grimes, William Alexander Barbee, and Sydney Barbee; and 20 great-grandchildren, Mason, Alex, Bella, Liam, Taron, Gabriella, Yusuf, Rory, Rose, Aiden, Caleb, Savannah, Elijah, Jackson, Ethan, Lucas, Henry, Grant, Audrey, and Madison; numerous nephews and nieces, and cousins. She also leaves behind her two dogs that she loved, “Duke” and “Suzie.” A special thanks is given to Dr. Zullo and his staff and Dr. Keller and his staff for their care and, most importantly, love over the past several years. Visitation for friends and family was at Hogg Funeral Home on Monday, March 27, 2023, from 6-7:30 p.m. A Celebration of Life service was held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Newington Baptist Church, 6169 Main Street, Gloucester, Va. 23061, with burial in the church cemetery.
Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home.