Shirley Lee Obituary Shirley Murphy Lee April 18, 1935 － February 7, 2024 Franklin － Shirley Murphy Lee, 88, of Franklin, VA was carried by angels home to be with her Heavenly Father on February 7, 2024. She was born on April 18, 1935, in Newton Grove, NC to the late Harvey and Ruth Murphy. Shirley, also known as Mom, Mema, Essie, and Miss Shirley was the eldest of 9 children. Shirley attended Emmanuel College where she met the man who would later become her husband, John "Randy" Lee. She completed her education at ECU in NC and began her teaching career in Buxton, NC. She continued serving her community as a school teacher until 1997 when she retired from Deep Creek Elementary School in Chesapeake VA. Although she had retired from teaching, her work was not complete. She continued to teach her family, friends, and everyone she come in contact with through the way she lived her life. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends (especially on her porch), working in her flower garden, bird watching, and most of all she enjoyed serving the Lord. Shirley was also preceded in death by her loving husband of 45 years, John "Randy" Lee, three sisters Hetty, Carolyn, and Jennette, and one brother Clayton Murphy. Left to cherish her precious memory are her two sons, Jay R. Lee (Ellen) and John "Marty" Lee (Heather). She had two grandchildren, Zachary Lee and Jordan Lee Wright (Jeremy), one great-grandson, Oliver Wright, and soon to be second great-grandson, Beckham Wright, as well as many nieces, nephews, and special friends. A Funeral Service will be held at 2PM Saturday, February 17, 2024 in Wright Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the funeral home and requests that in lieu of flowers, the memorial donations be made to the Alzheimer‚Äôs Association or the Goshen New Life Church in Faison, NC. Obituary published on Legacy.com by Wright Funeral Home and Crematory － Franklin on Feb. 10, 2024. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See also: 1) https://www.wrightfuneralhome.org/obituary/Shirley-Lee 2) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/shirley-lee-obituary?id=54337586 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Narrative summary of the obituary: Shirley Murphy Lee, 88, of Franklin, VA, died 7 February 2024. Born 18 April 1935 in Newton Grove, NC, she was a teacher until 1997. Shirley was preceded in death by her husband John "Randy" Lee. She is survived by two sons, two grandchildren, and one great-grandson. ### Narrative summary of funeral services: A funeral service was held at 2 PM Saturday, 17 February 2024 in Wright Funeral Home. Burial followed in Riverside Cemetery. The family received friends one hour prior to the service. Memorial donations were requested for the Alzheimers Association or Goshen New Life Church in Faison, NC. ### The Edited Obituary Shirley Lee Obituary Shirley Murphy Lee 18 April 1935 - 7 February 2024 Franklin - Shirley Murphy Lee, 88, of Franklin, VA was carried by angels home to be with her Heavenly Father on 7 February 2024. She was born on 18 April 1935, in Newton Grove, NC to the late Harvey and Ruth Murphy. Shirley, also known as Mom, Mema, Essie, and Miss Shirley was the eldest of 9 children. Shirley attended Emmanuel College where she met the man who would later become her husband, John "Randy" Lee. She completed her education at ECU in NC and began her teaching career in Buxton, NC. She continued serving her community as a school teacher until 1997 when she retired from Deep Creek Elementary School in Chesapeake VA. Although she had retired from teaching, her work was not complete. She continued to teach her family, friends, and everyone she came in contact with through the way she lived her life. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends (especially on her porch), working in her flower garden, bird watching, and most of all she enjoyed serving the Lord. Shirley was also preceded in death by her loving husband of 45 years, John "Randy" Lee, three sisters Hetty, Carolyn, and Jennette, and one brother Clayton Murphy. Left to cherish her precious memory are her two sons, Jay R. Lee (Ellen) and John "Marty" Lee (Heather). She had two grandchildren, Zachary Lee and Jordan Lee Wright (Jeremy), one great grandson, Oliver Wright, and soon to be second great grandson, Beckham Wright, as well as many nieces, nephews, and special friends. A Funeral Service will be held at 2 PM Saturday, 17 February 2024 in Wright Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the funeral home and requests that in lieu of flowers, the memorial donations be made to the Alzheimers Association or the Goshen New Life Church in Faison, NC. ### Vital Statistics Summary | Name | Shirley Murphy Lee | |---------|---------------------------------| | Age | 88 | | Birth | 18 April 1935; Newton Grove, NC | | Death | 7 February 2024; Franklin, VA | ### Table of Relationships | Name | Relationship | Residence | |-------------------------|----------------------|-------------------------| | Shirley Murphy Lee | Decedent | Franklin, VA | | John Randy Lee | Predeceased Spouse | -- | | Harvey Murphy | Predeceased Parent | -- | | Ruth Murphy | Predeceased Parent | -- | | Jay R. Lee | Child | Unknown | | Ellen Lee | Child's Spouse | Unknown | | John Marty Lee | Child | Unknown | | Heather Lee | Child's Spouse | Unknown | | Zachary Lee | Grandchild | Unknown | | Jordan Lee Wright | Grandchild | Unknown | | Jeremy Wright | Grandchild's Spouse | Unknown | | Oliver Wright | Great-grandchild | Unknown | | Beckham Wright | Great-grandchild | Unknown | | Hetty | Predeceased Sibling | -- | | Carolyn | Predeceased Sibling | -- | | Jennette | Predeceased Sibling | -- | | Clayton Murphy | Predeceased Sibling | -- | ### Other Relevant Information 1. Shirley was the eldest of 9 children. 2. She attended Emmanuel College. 3. She completed her education at ECU in NC. 4. She began her teaching career in Buxton, NC. 5. She retired from Deep Creek Elementary School in Chesapeake, VA in 1997. 6. She continued to teach family, friends, and others through her way of life after retirement. 7. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, especially on her porch. 8. She enjoyed working in her flower garden and bird watching. 9. She enjoyed serving the Lord. ### Publication Details | Place | Name | Date | |------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------| | Legacy.com | Wright Funeral Home and Crematory , Franklin | 10 February 2024 |