Shirley Hester

Mrs. Shirley Wright Hester, 75, of Birmingham passed away peacefully on Friday, July 14, 2017. She was born October 21, 1941 in Needham to the late Colon and Edna (Broadhead) Wright. Shirley grew up in Marbury, AL. She graduated from Marbury High School in 1960 and Sylacauga Hospital School of Nursing in 1963. She worked for 4 years at West End Baptist Hospital while getting her B.S. degree. In 1968, she went to work at UAB Hospital. While working at the school of nursing, in 1972 she partnered with Juanzetta Flowers to start the Nurse Practitioner Program at UAB to train nurses for rural health examination. She worked in different studies until 2006 when she was inducted into the Alabama Nurses Hall of Fame. She retired 3 times, but continued to work until 2015 when she fully retired. In late 2015, she suffered a massive stroke. She fought for 17 months against terrible pain until her death on July 14. Shirley is preceded in death by her brother, Edward Marshall Wright (Barbara). She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Charles O. Hester; daughters, Lara DiChiara (Michael) and Misty Chitwood (Dean); brother, Gary Wright (Melinda); grandchildren, Madison Luna Pippin, Michael DiChiara, Sonny DiChiara, and Marissa Luna; and numerous nieces and nephews. A visitation will be held Wednesday, July 19, 2017 from 10:00am to 12:00pm at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home in Trussville. The funeral service will begin at 12:00pm from the funeral home chapel with Reverend Bobby Erwin officiating. Interment will immediately follow at Jefferson Memorial Gardens East.