I was humbled to speak at Shirleys memorial on behalf of Kairos, and I share that here.
Soon after Shirley’s devastating diagnosis I spoke with her on the phone expressing how sorry I was to hear her news.
Don’t worry Rob it’s OK, was her reply. Now Rob, the agape for the weekend I have all here packed up can you organise to collect it so it is there for the weekend, and I have asked for 20 hampers at Christmas time, can you make sure they get delivered. We shared memories, and then Shirley said, Rob will you tell people at the funeral what I have been doing, so here I am.
Shirley was an amazing witness for Our Lord Jesus, although she led KYB (Know Your Bible) meetings for many years, she didn’t preach, she led people to Jesus by her unconditional love and servitude to everyone she had contact with.
More than 25 years ago Shirley gave her heart to Kairos Inside at Cessnock Correctional Centre, then later at St Hellier’s, Muswellbrook Correctional Centre and with Juveniles at Frank Baxter on the Central Coast.
Often, she was Kitchen Leader for the Inside Course, so huge plastic containers of salads, desserts accompanied by sausages pizza, BBQ chicken, and endless piles of biscuits and slices fed up to 40 adults, were organised by Shirley for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, throughout the five-day course.
Women are not allowed in the meeting room during the program, but we were able to interact during mealtimes and join in with singing in the room as well as in the Chapel. Shirley loved to grab a couple of the other women on team when they sang “Jesus is My Rock” and do a dance routine out front, which the boys loved. A favourite story was about the Muslem boys who would sit outside the room and listen, sometimes joining in, and the boys not doing the program but would wander by on lawn mowers at cuppa time and she would fill their pockets with biscuits. Another story happened at Cessnock Correctional Centre in the cells, the evening after the program finished one of the boys started singing a hymn they had sung at the program, then another joined in, then some from another wing in the gaol, eventually the gaol was filled singing from every wing.
When Kairos Outside started in the Hunter Shirley was in there, boots and all, again often she was kitchen leader, and the guests were treated as Queens. But it didn’t end with the weekend Shirley often held lunches for guests in her home providing them not only with a delicious meal but serving it on white table clothes with shining cutlery. Guests have shared with me how special it was to be treated in this manner.
Shirley was unstoppable, if there was something to be done, she was there, reunion dinners, fundraisers, floral arrangements, cooking and baking, then washing tablecloths and aprons that came back crisply ironed and ready to go again.
Bless you Shirley, sadly missed but a rest well earned.
Love you from all our Kairos families