SHIRLEY FAISON SIMS
Dec. 7, 1934-July 11, 2015
Shirley Faison Sims, 80, died Saturday Morning at Rex Healthcare Center in Raleigh.
Born in Wayne County, she was the daughter of the late Paul and Muriel Faison, and was the wife of the late Charlie George Sims.
Funeral services to celebrate Shirley's life will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Deeper Life Church Ministries, 900 11th St. Goldsboro, with the Rev. Dr. Staccato Powell, the Rev. Dr. Curtis Lee, Rev. Faye Baker, the Rev. Dr. Dwight B. Cannon, the Rev. Norbert Simmons and the Rev. Timothy Dortch officiating.
The body will lie in state one and a half hours prior to the funeral at the church.
Internment services will follow in Carver Memorial Cemetery in Mount Olive, N.C.
A lifelong educator, Shirley had a passion for teaching children and seeing them succeed in life.
After many years of teaching, she retired as an administrator with the Wayne County Public Schools.
After her retirement, she dedicated her life to serving her community as an elected member of the Wayne County Board of Education for 18 years. During her tenure with the board, she was nominated by fellow North Carolina School Board Association members across the state to receive the prestigious Raleigh Dingman Award for Outstanding Service to the children of North Carolina.
This award earned her a seat the following year on the North Carolina State Board of Education, where she was a strong advocate for children's health, playing a vital role in their success and education.
Shirley was a recipient of the Order of The Longleaf Pine.
She was a member of Grace AME Zion Church in Raleigh, and had previously been a member of The Evangelical Fellowship Center in Mount Olive and Payne's Temple AME Zion Church in Mount Olive.
Other memberships included Carver Alumni and Friends Inc., the Gold-Wayne Chapter of Winston-Salem State Alumni Association, as well as the National Winston-Salem State University Association.
She was also very dedicated to Zeta Chi Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority of North Carolina.
Shirley is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Murial Sims Wright of Raleigh and Charletta Sims Evans and her husband, Darrin, of Apex; a brother and three sisters-in-law, Donald Ray Faison and his wife, Patsy, of Goldsboro, Jessie Mae Sims of Grambling, La., and Margaret Brice of Detroit, Mich.; and three grandchildren, Darryl Charles Wright, Marcus Andrew Wright and Paul Winston Evans.
In honor of Shirley's life of service to education, the family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be directed to the Winston-Salem State University Foundation Inc., Attn: The Shirley Faison Sims Scholarship Fund, 311 Blair Hall, Winston-Salem, N.C., 27710
Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home and Crematory Inc. of Goldsboro is serving the Sims family, and online condolences may be sent through www.shumate-faulk.com.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on July 12, 2015 8:13 AM