Shirley Jean was born to Lewis Carl Jones and Edith Spidle Jones on July 19, 1937, in Polo, Missouri, and was raised in nearby Cameron. There she met and married the love of her life, Douglas Deloy Ratcliff, on March 2, 1957. They moved to the Kansas City area and had a son, Gregory. Shirley took great pride in being a traditional stay-at-home spouse and mother while Douglas had a career in construction and project management. Upon retirement, they moved to Clinton, Missouri and were active in the Elk’s and Eagle’s fraternal organizations where they made many friends. They were also active in the Methodist church over the course of their lives.
Douglas and Shirley celebrated 63 years of marriage and after the death of her husband in 2020 and in declining health, Shirley moved to Chicago to be closer to her son.
Shirley will be remembered by her family and friends by the sparkle in her eye and by her entertaining sense of humor and her cheerful disposition. She loved going to the casinos (where she had enviable good luck), traveling and spending time at the beach in Florida.
In addition to Gregory, Shirley is survived by her son-in-law Dr. Glen Gabert and sister-in-law Linda (Ratcliff) Kalka as well as many nieces and nephews. Her brothers Donald and Truman preceded her in death.
There will be a funeral Mass at Atonement Episcopal Church (5749 North Kenmore, Chicago) at 2 pm on Thursday, September 19, 2024. In addition, friends and family are invited to gather for a graveside service as Shirley’s ashes are interred with those of Douglas at 10:30 am on Friday, September 27, 2024, in Englewood Cemetery (1804 East Ohio, Clinton, Missouri).
