Shirley Mills King of Bayview passed away on Monday, June 17, at Providence Hospital from complications of diabetes.

Shirley was 10 years old when she and her family moved to Whidbey Island from Maryland in 1947. She graduated from Langley High School in 1955; during that time she and her sister Beverly formed a singing group, the Harmonettes, who performed at local events. She returned to Whidbey Island in 1980 after living in Seattle, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Shirley loved the beauty of the Northwest, which she captured in paintings and photographs. She had many artistic talents: in addition to her singing, she won awards for her photographs during her years in Las Vegas, and was also an accomplished watercolor artist and a gifted storyteller. She was beloved as a teacher of preschool-age children at her Stay n’ Play daycare center in Bayview which she ran from 1982 to 1988.

Shirley is survived by her husband, Ronald J. King of Bayview; her daughter, Stephanie Greig of Brooklyn, NY; her sisters Beverly Loyer of Scatchet Head and Jane Ecklebarger of Antigua, Guatemala; and six nieces and nephews. Her public memorial will be held at a future date.