Shirley A. Blunt, 89, of Fort Myers, Fla. died Nov. 16 at the age of 89.
Shirley was born Aug. 7, 1935 to Alvin and Mabel Meyer in Burlington, Iowa. She attended schools there through high school. She was a good student and particularly enjoyed her participation in music classes. She started piano lessons at age 7 and organ lessons at age 15. From that time on she served as church organist for many of the churches she attended. In junior high and high school she accompanied groups on the piano. She also taught seven piano students during her high school years.
After high school graduation in 1953, she married Kenneth L. Blunt. She held positions in insurance offices during the time he was studying at the seminary in Chicago. He was the pastor of Sunnyside Avenue Baptist Church, Burlington, Iowa, and following that, he became an Army Chaplain, being assigned to various posts in Viet Nam, Germany and the US. Shirley and their children, Joel and Shawn, accompanied him whenever possible. She earned her AA degree from Drury College in Springfield, MO in 1979. At two of the Army posts she served as President of the Officers’ Wives’ Club, utilizing her love of organization and bringing people together. She served as Music Contractor at Chanute Air Force Base from 1982-1987, lining up musicians for all the church services.
Upon his Army retirement, they settled in Urbana, Ill., later moving to Fort Myers, FL. She thrived in her involvement in churches - at First Baptist Church, Burlington; Sunnyside Avenue Baptist Church, Burlington; University Baptist Church, Champaign, Ill.; Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ, Fort Myers, Fla., serving there as secretary, then office manager, as well as co-organist for 27 years. She was a member of the handbell and chancel choirs there for many of those years.
Among her other talents, Shirley composed six songs: Committed To Care, 1977; Make Today Count, 1978; Words of Faith, 1991; and Come to the Table of the Lord, 1992; Living Water, 1993; A Woman of Wisdom, 1994.
Survivors include her children, Joel (Debra) Blunt of Conroe, Texas and Shawn Parr of Licking, Mo.; two grandchildren, Elizabeth Parr of Urbana, Ill. and Erin (Andrew) Blunt Styron of Nashville, Tenn.; four great-grandchildren: Alexis Parr, Aalyvia and Myles Wilson, all of Urbana, Ill. and Callie Styron of Nashville, Tenn.; one great-great-grandson, Damari Brown of Urbana, Ill.; one sister, Joyce Alexander of Fort Myers, Fla.; and one former daughter-in-law, Susan Blunt of Franklin, Ten.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by parents and one grandson, Michael Parr.
A memorial service for Shirley will be held at Fort Myers United Church of Christ in Fort Myers at 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Her ashes will be taken to Burlington, in the spring, where they will be buried next to her husband.
Memorials had been established for Fort Myers United Church of Christ, 8210 College Parkway, Fort Myers, Florida 33919 and Parkside Baptist Church, 300 Potter Drive, Burlington, Iowa, 52601.