‘Lillian’ Shirley Edwards Palmes, 85 years old, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on January 9, 2024, four months following the death of her beloved husband, Howard Edwin Palmes, III.
Shirley was born April 20, 1938, in Carrollton, Georgia, the second of four children of James Jackson Edwards and Lillian Grace Railey Edwards. She grew up in Meridian, Mississippi.
While working for Southern Bell Telephone Company in Mobile, Alabama, Shirley met the love of her life, Auburn University co-op student, Howard Palmes. On September 12, 1959, Howard and Shirley were married at Wesley United Methodist Church in Meridian, Mississippi. They were happily married for 64 years. After living in Auburn; Mobile; Fort Monmouth, New Jersey; Cooperstown, New York and Huntsville, they settled in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1968. They had three daughters: Lydia, Deborah, and Suzanne and two grandsons, Ryan and Jason.
Shirley always considered being a wife, mother, and grandmother her greatest honor and highest calling. Being a homemaker was her great joy and privilege. Shirley developed other interests along the way. She worked as a volunteer docent for the Birmingham Museum of Art for 27 years. She led interactive tours to thousands of children and adults, making art come alive as she provided insights and a deep appreciation for the artists, the artwork itself, and art history. Many of her favorite memories were the art tours she provided for the blind. She also volunteered as a reader for the Radio Reading Service for the Blind at WBHM in Birmingham for many years. Shirley was a member of a neighborhood garden club for almost 50 years, and she was a longtime member of a study club called Les Jeunes Meres. Shirley and her family were members of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and she recently joined Grace Methodist Church in Scottsboro. Shirley was an avid reader and a loyal Atlanta Braves fan. She loved spending time enjoying nature, whether it was hiking in the North Carolina mountains or sitting on her back porch listening to the birds. She enjoyed playing bridge, sewing, cooking, and traveling with her husband Howard. She cherished her many wonderful friends, who loved her dearly.
Shirley was predeceased by her husband, Howard Palmes III, and by her parents and her brothers Don and Jim Edwards. She is survived by her sister, Peggy Harris of Martinsburg, West Virginia, and by her daughters Lydia Palmes of Huntsville; Deborah Harris (husband Rick) of San Diego, California; Suzanne Harris (husband, Don) of Scottsboro, Alabama; and by grandsons, Ryan Jesse Harris of Huntsville and Jason Howard Harris of Scottsboro, Alabama.
A Celebration of Life for both Shirley and Howard Palmes will be held in Redstone Village’s club room on Saturday, January 13, from 2:00 until 3:30. A Celebration of Life for Shirley will be held at Vestavia Methodist Church in Birmingham on Wednesday, January 17, with visitation at 10:00 and service at 11:00. A private graveside service will then be held at Pine Crest Cemetery in Mobile, Alabama.
For those who would like to honor her, the family suggests making a donation to a favorite charity in memory of Shirley Palmes.
