Retha Mae Shirley
- Firefighter
- Grayback Forestry, Inc., USDA Forest Service Contract
- Oregon
- Age: 19
- Year of Death: 2002
Submitted by her mother
Retha was a student in the nursing program at OTI in Klamath Falls. She worked part time at a Veterinary Clinic to help pay her way. She was always ready to help; rather it was people or animals‚ she never wanted anyone to suffer.
Retha taught by example‚ she was changing the world one person at a time‚ and she lives on through all the lives she touched. She was a beautiful person inside and out‚ a person who had a passion to live life to its fullest. We will never forget the things we learned from her. We thank her for being a part of our lives and showing us you must live everyday to the fullest‚ never holding back‚ and always staying strong.
Retha was always active in school‚ sports‚ and 4-H horsemanship.
Retha enjoyed the outdoors‚ she was an avid hunter and fisher. She was always competing with the boys in school for the ‘Big Buck ‘ contest. She enjoyed bird hunting with her Brittney Spaniel. She also liked to float the rivers and fly fish.
Retha worked for a Wildland Fire Fighting Co. She died in a van rollover in Colorado that also took the lives of 4 others. They were traveling in a convoy with 7 other vehicles in what was to be a 30 hour nonstop drive from Oregon.
Retha is survived by her parents‚ Larry and Linda Shirley; 2 brothers Chase (12) and Jesse (26) a sister in law Cindy and a niece Brianna. And a very special friend Tyson Schoenmoser.
A Memorial Scholarship was established in Retha’s honor for a senior year nursing student through Oregon Health and Science University.
