Ms. Shirley Louise Worsley

SHIRLEY LOUISE WORSLEY, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN BY MANY AS "SHELLY" ENTERED ETERNAL REST ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2025. BORN ON JULY 5, 1955, IN PITT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, SHIRLEY WAS THE BELOVED DAUGHTER OF THE LATE WILLIE RAY WORSLEY AND ESTHER RUTH WORSLEY. AT AN EARLY AGE, HER FAMILY RELOCATED TO BALTIMORE CITY, WHERE SHIRLEY GREW UP, WAS EDUCATED, BUILT HER CAREER, RAISED HER FAMILY, AND ULTIMATELY BECAME A SOURCE OF STRENGTH, JOY, AND UNITY TO EVERYONE BLESSED TO KNOW SHIRLEY RECEIVED HER EDUCATION THROUGH BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PROUDLY GRADUATED FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL. DETERMINED TO FURTHER HER EDUCATION, SHE WENT ON TO EARN HER DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION FROM BAY COLLEGE OF MARYLAND. HER COMMITMENT TO HARD WORK AND HER DESIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HER COMMUNITY LED HER TO THE BALTIMORE CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY. THERE, SHIRLEY DEDICATED MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE BEFORE RETIRING IN 2019. SHE WAS ADMIRED NOT ONLY FOR HER PROFESSIONALISM, BUT ALSO FOR HER COMPASSION, HUMILITY, AND THE GENUINE CARE SHE SHOWED TO RESIDENTS AND COWORKERS ALIKE. TO MANY, SHE WAS MORE THAN AN EMPLOYEE-SHE WAS A CONFIDANT, ADVOCATE, AND FRIEND. SHIRLEY GREW UP IN A LARGE, LOVING FAMILY. SHE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS; HER BROTHERS LARRY WORLEY, BILLIE WORSLEY, MICHAEL WORLEY, AND DENNIS WORLEY; AND HER BROTHER-IN-LAW, JOHNNY DICKENS-BEY. THOUGH SHE ENDURED THE LOSS OF MANY CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS, SHE CONTINUED TO BE A STEADY PILLAR FOR THOSE WHO REMAINED. SHIRLEY LEAVES TO CHERISH HER MEMORY: HER DEVOTED DAUGHTER, PAYAN DALES, WHO WAS THE PRIDE AND JOY OF HER LIFE; AND HER CHERISHED GRANDCHILDREN, GREG ANTHONY WINDER JR. AND LIAM WORSLEY, WHOM SHE ADORED BEYOND MEASURE. SHIRLEY'S GRANDCHILDREN WERE THE CENTER OF HER WORLD, AND SHE POURED ENDLESS LOVE, GUIDANCE, AND WISDOM INTO THEM. SHE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HER LOVING SISTERS, LORA ANN ROBERTSON AND DEBBIE WORSLEY; HER CARING BROTHER-IN-LAW, JEFFREY ROBERTSON; AND A HOST OF NIECES AND NEPHEWS: DEMETRIS WORSLEY, LARRY WORSLEY, ODELL WORLEY, CAMARA WORLEY, CAMERON WORLEY, AND JASMINE COOPER. ALTHOUGH SHIRLEY WAS THE MOTHER OF ONE DAUGHTER, SHE OPENED HER HEART WIDELY AND DEEPLY. SHE HELD A SPECIAL PLACE FOR HER NIECES ASHLEY MORGAN, HER BIRTHDAY TWIN, AND TASHIA "TAR BABY" JOHNSON JONES, BOTH OF WHOM SHE LOVED AS HER OWN CHILDREN. HER LOVE WAS NOT LIMITED BY BLOOD-IT WAS EXTENDED BY CONNECTION, BY LOYALTY, AND BY THE WAY HER SPIRIT EMBRACED THOSE AROUND HER. SHIRLEY HAD MANY PASSIONS THAT BROUGHT HER JOY. SHE LOVED MUSIC OF ALL KINDS AND COULD OFTEN BE FOUND SINGING ALONG OR DANCING TO HER OWN UNIQUE BEAT. SHE ENJOYED CLASSIC TELEVISION-ESPECIALLY I LOVE LUCY-AS WELL AS OLD WESTERNS THAT REMINDED HER OF SIMPLER TIMES. SHIRLEY WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY LATE AT NIGHT, WHIPPING UP MEALS THAT WERE MADE WITH LOVE AND SHARED WITH ANYONE WHO HAPPENED TO BE NEARBY. HER LAUGHTER, HER HUMOR, AND HER BRIGHT, VIBRANT ENERGY LIT UP EVERY ROOM SHE WALKED INTO. TO HER FAMILY, SHIRLEY WAS THE MATRIARCH-THE ONE WHO HELD EVERYONE TOGETHER. SHE MADE IT HER MISSION TO KEEP THE FAMILY UNITED, CONNECTED, AND COVERED IN LOVE. SHE LOOKED AFTER EACH OF THEM IN HER OWN SPECIAL WAY, OFTEN WITHOUT EVER BEING ASKED. HER PRESENCE, WISDOM, AND ABILITY TO UPLIFT OTHERS SHAPED THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE WORLEY FAMILY. FAITH WAS CENTRAL TO SHIRLEY'S LIFE. SHE WAS A DEVOTED MEMBER OF NEW PSALMIST BAPTIST CHURCH, WHERE SHE WORSHIPED FAITHFULLY, PSALM 91 WAS HER FAVORITE SCRIPTURE, AND SHE SHARED IT OFTEN WITH LOVED ONES, OFFERING ENCOURAGEMENT AND SPIRITUAL COVERING AT JUST THE RIGHT MOMENTS. HER PRAYERS WERE POWERFUL, HER FAITH UNWAVERING, AND HER BELIEF IN GOD WAS A GUIDING LIGHT NOT ONLY FOR HERSELF, BUT FOR THOSE BLESSED TO KNOW HER.

Tributes

Ms. Shirley Louise Worsley

July 5, 1955 - December 5, 2025