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Mrs. Shirley Marie Givens Tilley, 64, of 333 Buena Vista Drive, Pilot Mountain, passed away Monday, February 11, 2008, at Northern Hospital of Surry County in Mount Airy.

Mrs. Tilley was born November 25, 1943, in Nashville, TN, to Helen Gardner Givens and the late William P. Givens.

She was a lifelong teacher, having taught at Pilot Mountain Elementary School, White Plains Elementary School, and J. Sam Gentry Middle School, where she taught social studies for many years. Shirley was a faithful and active member of Simmons Grove Baptist Church and a volunteer at The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. Mrs. Tilley was truly an inspiration to all who knew her.

She is survived by a daughter, Mondee D. Tilley of Mount Airy; a son, Christopher D. Tilley and special friend, Lauren Huels, of Pilot Mountain; her mother, Helen Gardner Givens of Pleasant View, TN; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Annette Jenkins of Pleasant View, TN, and Melinda and Gregg Perry of Clarksville, TN; and two brothers, Raymond Givens and Will Givens, both of Pleasant View, TN.

In addition to her father, Mrs. Tilley was preceded in death by her husband, James G. Tilley.

A service to celebrate her life will be held Saturday, February 16, 2008, at 11:00 AM at Simmons Grove Baptist Church, with the Rev. Alan Branch officiating. The family will receive friends Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Simmons Grove Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials should be made to the Simmons Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, 443 Simmons Grove Church Road, Pilot Mountain, NC 27041, or the Ryan C. Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Surrey Bank and Trust, ATTN: Dianne Lawson, P.O. Box 1227, Mount Airy, NC 27030.

Published in the Winston-Salem Journal on 2/14/2008