Shirley Jensen

Burlington – Shirley Mae Keller Jensen, 85, passed away on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 at the Hospice Home.  She was born April 21, 1933, in Chicago.  Her father died when she was a young child and she and a younger sister were for a time in Foster Care during the height of the Great Depression.  She graduated from Waller High School and began her working career as a receptionist in a film studio, where she met her future husband, whose brother was the head writer.

Married in 1954 to Jim Jensen, she began a long career as a secretary with increasing executive responsibility, including overseas as she and her husband were accepted in the United States Foreign Service in 1962 and they were assigned to Khartoum, Sudan where she worked as a secretary to the head of the large agricultural mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

While in Khartoum their daughter Lisa Anne was born on an American military base in Asmara, Eritrea, in 1963.

Their next assignment was to Pretoria in the Republic of South Africa, then were transferred to Maseru, Lesotho, to become the first resident foreign diplomats in the country, which became independent in 1966.  Shirley began a long association with volunteer work there by participating in a feed-the-children program.

After studying French, they were assigned to Bamako, Mali, and then to Freetown, Sierra Leone, returning to the U.S. in 1972.  In 1974 they began a three-year assignment in Japan, where Shirley became secretary to the editor of Pacific Stars and Stripes.

Their next assignment was the Canberra, Australia, where Shirley was able to fulfill a long dream of college study at the Australian National University, where she took courses in philosophy and medieval history.

After returning to Washington in 1982, Shirley worked as executive secretary to the General Manager and Board of Directors of the State Department Federal Credit Union and for the Congressional Relations office of the Department.

When they went to London for their final assignment in 1985 Shirley worked as secretary in the Embassy’s political section.

Upon retirement in 1987, they moved to Cary, North Carolina and more volunteer work, first for the newly opened Western Wake Hospital and then, fulfilling her love of books and reading , for the Wake County Library system.  Using her fine voice and reading skills, she also undertook volunteer work recording books and magazine articles for the blind.

After moving to Twin Lakes retirement community in 2007, Shirley continued her volunteer library work, first at the Elon University library and then at the Twin Lakes Library.

During retirement she continued a longtime interest in political affairs, which included support for women candidates for public office.  She and her husband were able to do considerable travel in the U.S. and Canada and participate in a number of Elderhostal programs.

Survivors include her husband Jim Jensen, sister Tricia, daughter Lisa, daughter-in-law Laura and grandson Sam.