Shirley Dean (Wood) Pankhurst

Shirley Wood Pankhurst passed away peacefully on February 7, 2024. She was born on January 27, 1935 to Ralph B. and Beatrice C. Teague in Erick, OK. She was an only child. In 1952 Shirley graduated from Pawnee High School. She was a twirler, played flute in the band, and was Valedictorian of her senior class. She attended Oklahoma State University and joined Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Shirley married her high school sweetheart, James (Jim) Byron Wood in Pawnee on July 15, 1953 and to their union were born three children, Kyle, Melanie and Bart. Shirley and Jim lived in Dallas, Texas where Jim served in the Air Force as a radar operator and Shirley worked as a secretary for an insurance company. Shortly thereafter Jim became an air traffic controller and they moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas. While living there she finished her college degree at Arkansas State Teacher’s College (now UCA) and acquired her teaching certificate. She taught first grade for many years at Levy, Arkansas, Oak Ridge Elementary in Sapulpa, OK and in Pawnee after Jim retired from the FAA and they moved back to their old home town. Shirley went on to acquire her master’s degree in library science and finished her teaching career as the elementary school librarian at Pawnee. During retirement Shirley and Jim bought a place near McAllen, TX in the Rio Grande Valley and traveled there every winter. While there they played golf, square danced, and Shirley took up quilting and painting as hobbies that she excelled at for the rest of her life. They also made many great friends there from all over the country. Jim passed away on April 12, 2000. In 2003 Shirley married a true cowboy, Alvin Pankhurst. Al was a kind and caring husband who adored Shirley. They spent many happy years together in Pawnee and traveled to South Texas for a couple of months each winter. Al passed away in March, 2020. Shirley was a devout Christian and longtime member of First Baptist Church of Pawnee. She was preceded in death by husbands Jim Wood and Al Pankhurst and survived by children Kyle Wood and wife Debbie of Norman, Melanie Carender and husband Darrel of Pawnee and Bart Wood of Norman. Also surviving are grandchildren Kelly Hale and husband Liam, David Wood and wife Kim, Annie Grimm and husband Scott, and Jimmy Wood, along with five great grandchildren. Services will be held at First Baptist Church and Highland Cemetery in Pawnee on February 17, 2024 at 10:00 AM