Shirley Bell Gooley, 94, passed away on August 10 in La Grange, Illinois.  She was gracious and kind to all.

Born in Oak Park in 1924 to Lewis and Ethel Leona Bell, she was a stand-out student in grade school, winning the American Legion Award, for her courage, honor, leadership, patriotism, scholarship and service. She attended Oak Park High School, where she played piano and violin and belonged to the drama club.   Upon graduation from high school, she attended Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, where she met her future husband, John Gooley, now deceased.  They were married in July of 1944 before John began his naval service in the South Pacific. The couple soon began a family, settling in Oak Lawn in 1949.

In addition to raising four children, Shirley was host mother to two foreign exchange students and served on the board of American Field Service (AFS) at H.L. Richards High School.

Shirley’s first job was at the original Sears Tower, on Homan Avenue, where her beloved father was a national purchasing manager. She later served as a part-time reporter for the Oak Lawn Independent newspaper, covering school board and village council meetings. She worked intermittently for various employers, including Continental Insurance and Argonne National Laboratory. She also served on a civic caucus, the YMCA Youth Service Board, and helped initiate an alcohol intervention group through Pilgrim Faith UCC Church.

Along with her life-long interest in bridge, she enjoyed sewing, cooking, and reading.  Her travels included France, England and Ireland.  She was an early IPAD-user, soon challenging her great grandchildren in the game of “Plants vs Zombies” and is known to have asked them, “What’s in your Zen Garden?” She enjoyed helping friends at Plymouth Place Senior Living Center utilize Skype to communicate with loved ones and kept in close touch with her own family and friends via social media.

She is survived by three daughters, Diane Millar of Oak Lawn, Doris (husband David Bryant) of LaGrange, and Janet (husband, Jim Grimes) of Evanston; granddaughters Meri McLaughlin, Heather Schulz, Anne Grisenthwaite and Kate and Erin Grimes and by a grandson, Jon Woodring; and by four great grandchildren.  She is preceded in death by her husband John and son Kenneth.

Private family burial will be held at Mount Emblem Cemetery.

Memorial Services Monday, August 13th at Plymouth Place Senior Living, 315 N. La Grange Rd, La Grange Park
Reception: 6:30 pm
Celebration of Life: 7:15 pm

Memorials may be made to the Plymouth Place Scholarship Fund.