Shirley Crusey, daughter of Cyril and Winnefred (Townsend) Crusey, graduated from Santa Paula High School and pursued higher education at the University of California, Santa Barbara. A vibrant soul, she met Richard Frazer at a summer art camp, marrying in 1953. They settled in Anaheim, California, for seven years, raising three children: Robyn, Regan, and Garth. In 1961, the family relocated to Carmel Valley, California. After divorcing Richard, Shirley married James Ijams, welcoming two daughters, An-ne and Katee. The family moved to Fall City, Washington, in 1976, later settling in Issaquah and then Anacortes, where Shirley raised her daughters and spent her final 20 years, with brief residencies elsewhere in Skagit Valley.

Shirley's career spanned childcare in Carmel Valley and Anacortes, event coordination for the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC), including the Tulip Festival and Mt. Vernon Downtown Association events and serving as a Tulip Festival bus tour guide.

With a friend, she ran an antiques business at an Anacortes mall. A dedicated volunteer, Shirley contributed over a decade to the Red Cross and supported the Celtic Arts Highland Games. She was active in Anacortes Christian Reform Church, later joining Family Life Assembly of God,participating in singles and Young at Heart groups. Her passions included gardening, roses, antique collecting, genealogy, English and Scottish  history, and reading across genres, amassing a vast book collection. Shirley cherished joyful days with friends at the Anacortes Senior Center. She is deeply missed by family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations to Celtic Arts Foundation (then scroll down the page) or Anacortes Senior Center are appreciated.

To share memories of Shirley please visit
www.evanshapel.com/obituary/shirley-ijams