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Shirley Muriel Evans Robbins was born May 10, 1921, in Joyfield Twp., Benzie County, Michigan to Gladys Vera Putney Evans and J. Ben Evans. (J. Ben Evans was born James Benzonia Walker and adopted by John D. and Nancy Evans at age five) Shirley peacefully passed on April 18, 2008, at the Hospice branch of Anna Kaseman Hospital. She was a resident of Albuquerque since 1973. She is survived by her husband, Donald Kelly Robbins; one brother, Duane (Bug) Gemmell Evans and his wife Susie, of Benzonia, Benzie County, Michigan; and a sister, Iris Noreen Evans Graham and husband, Harry, of Raymore, Missouri; Seventeen nieces and nephews; and thirty five great-nieces and nephews. Her step-children are Lynn Sullivan and husband, David, of Albuquerque, Kyra Ludwigson and husband, Jeff, of Mahtomedi, Minnesota, Dr. David Robbins and his wife, Ruthie Horn, of Albuquerque, and Janna Bordeaux and husband, Dean, of Phoenix, Arizona. She was predeceased by her father, J. Ben Evans (1935); and her mother, Gladys Vera Putney Evans (1952); and four brothers, Kenneth Chester Evans (1945), Harry Walker Evans (1953), Sidney Carroll Evans (1988), and James David Evans (1973). Shirley was a life long member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She was an active member of Monte Vista Christian Church while living in Albuquerque. The church has played a great part in her life. She has gained much support of her faith in the church. She attended Benzie County Normal (1938-1939) and taught two years in a one room country school in that county. She was graduated from Bronson Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, Kalamazoo, Michigan and had a Master's degree (in Nursing) from Western Michigan University of Kalamazoo, Michigan. She practiced as a registered nurse (RN) for more than forty years. During that span of time, she has had a variety of supervisor positions. She taught nursing at Bronson Methodist Hospital, and remained in touch with many of her students for all of her life. She served as Director of Nursing Education and Medical Supervisor at the University of Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was assistant Director of Nursing at Blodgett Memorial Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was a Medical Supervisor at Memorial Hospital, Fremont, Ohio. She was Director of Nursing at Memorial Hospital in St. Joseph, Michigan. She married and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1973. While in New Mexico, she was an Assistant Professor of Nursing, for the University of New Mexico. She helped set up the UNM school of Nursing in Gallup. She was the Director of Nursing for the Cancer Research and Treatment Center, in its early formative years. She participated in the Meson cancer treatment activity at Los Alamos. She joined the Presbyterian family, and worked with the several branch centers that Presbyterian Hospital has across the state, like Clovis, Socorro, and Belen. She became Director of Nursing for the downtown Presbyterian Hospital. She retired from that position in 1981. She was an active member of the American Nurses Association, while in Michigan, Ohio, and New Mexico. Also the New Mexico Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing, and the American Association of Nursing Service Administrators. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society of Nursing. She was a long time member of AAUW, the American Association of University Women. She was also a member of PEO Chapter BJ. She was published in the American Journal of Nursing and in Supervison Nurse. She enjoyed travel. All fifty states, eleven Canadian provinces, several trips to Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Since retirement, she has been busy with church activities and volunteer work with Meals on Wheels as a nurse visitor and board member. This collection of facts may fail to reflect a woman who loved God, her church, her family and people. She had many great friends. Daniels Funeral home is providing the cremation. A Memorial Service celebrating Shirley's life will be held on May 10, 2008, at the Monte Vista Christian Church at 2:00 p.m. Shirley wished to have any memorials in her name sent to her church. Monte Vista Christian Church 3501 Campus Blvd, NE Albuquerque, NM 87106
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