Mrs. Shirley Ross Landrum

Obituary For Mrs. Shirley Ross Landrum

A memorial service will be held on February 25, 2023 at Central Presbyterian Church at 2:00PM.

September 9, 1948 - January 3, 2023 Shirley Ross Landrum, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and sister, passed away peacefully on January 3, 2023. She was 74 years old, far too young to leave this world, but would tell you that she had a great deal of fun during her time on earth. She was born in Pasadena, Texas on September 9, 1948. She grew up yearning to play on her brother's Little League teams, and described summers with her extended family in South Carolina as the true highlight of her childhood. Shirley attended Sam Rayburn High School and Texas Woman's University, graduating in summer 1971. Shirley was married for over 52 years to her husband and best friend, Hugh Landrum, III. They met at Love Field in Dallas, Texas, lived in Germany together, and settled in Atlanta to raise their two daughters, Ellen and Susan. Shirley was a devoted Mom, a class parent, PTA vice-president, and soccer coach, while also teaching preschool at the Cathedral of St.Philip for nearly ten years. She was a long-time member of North Atlanta Parents for Public Schools and eventually found herself managing the front office of North Atlanta High School, where she befriended every student and staff member she encountered. In the year 2000, Shirley took a position at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), where she was a jack-of-all-trades, supporting staff in Atlanta and across the country. She was named Employee of the Year in 2014 and honored by AFB at a celebration in New York City. In her all-too-brief retirement, Shirley continued to devote time and energy to Central Presbyterian Church, where she was a committed member, volunteer and manager of the "friendship pads" on Sundays, a job anyone who knew her would deem most fitting. She also delighted in organizing Central's vibrant presence in the Atlanta Pride parade several years running. Shirley was a beloved member of her faith community, remembered by all for her bright smile and commitment to radical, inclusive love. Shirley's family was the center of her life. She was a grandmother, or "Goonie" to Sophie, Rosy, and Wilder and lived for visits with them. She declared summer 2020 as the best of her life, when she managed to spend six consecutive weeks with her family in coastal Maine, a place that brought her great joy. Shirley's passions included coffee, long walks, crime dramas and mysteries, and spectating sports of all kinds, especially soccer and golf. She was a dynamite card player and an excellent cook, despite avoiding the kitchen. Later in her life she discovered her green thumb and could coax any plant back from the brink. She loved reading, traveling, and any excuse to rendezvous with her daughters and grandchildren. Shirley is survived by her husband Hugh, her daughters Ellen (Rene) and Susan (Corey), and her grandchildren, Sophie, Rosy and Wilder. She leaves behind her brother, Michael, sister-in-law Judi, sister-in-law Sarah (Pitt), and her many nieces and nephews. Shirley was preceded in death (and will be welcomed by) her mother, Colie Vincent Ross, her father Jessie C. Ross, her brother Jessie, and sister Vivian.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to the Central Outreach & Advocacy Center.

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