Shirley I. Curtiss, 77, of Rock Island, passed away on Sunday, November 9, 2014 at Rosewood Care Center, Moline. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Friday at Edgewood Baptist Church, Rock Island. Visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or Edgewood Baptist Church.

Shirley was born on May 28, 1937, a daughter of Walter Harkert and Helen True Harkert. She married Jessie W. (Bill) Curtiss on October 9, 1955 in Rock Island. Bill died on May 5, 2006.

Shirley retired from the Rock Island/Milan School District in 2002. She spent many years as an elementary school librarian at Frances Willard, Horace Mann, Thomas Jefferson and Eugene Field Elementary Schools. Shirley greatly enjoyed spending time with children, reading and gardening.

Survivors include her children; Lawrence (Amy) Curtiss; daughters, Lisa Curtiss and Linda (Tom) Hill, all of Rock Island; grandchildren, Jessica, Jennifer and Jaime Hill and Andrew and Joseph Curtiss; siblings, Mike (Sue) Harkert, Rock Island, Chuck (Brenda) Glancey, Tennessee, Betty (Kenny) Vinzant, Rock Island

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, an infant granddaughter and a step-brother, Walter Harkert, Jr.