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Shirley Thomas Busch, 92, died peacefully on Friday, June 17, 2022 surrounded by family at her home in Pawleys Island, SC. She was born February 21, 1930 in Philadelphia, PA, daughter and only child of the late Helen Thomas and Roy Thomas. Shirley was predeceased by her husband of 57 years, Donald Frank Busch, and her eldest daughter, Susan Gail Busch, both of Pawleys Island, SC. She is survived by her children Wendy Lynn Busch (Richard Triant) of Lansing, NY and Stephen Thomas Busch (Christine) of Encinitas, CA and five grandchildren, Jessica and Nicole Triant, and Kevin, David, and William Busch. Shirley attended the Friend's Select K-12 Quaker School in Philadelphia which instilled in her a lifelong love of learning. At a little over 5 feet tall, she played multiple sports including field hockey, basketball and tennis. She was also renown for her clear soprano voice and sang regularly at church in addition to performing in the annual Gilbert & Sullivan operettas at school, earning the lead role her junior year. She attended Gettysburg College majoring in French and Math where she continued playing field hockey and basketball, becoming co-captain of the field hockey team her junior and senior years. She also sang in the choir and joined the Spectrum yearbook staff, becoming Editor-in-Chief her senior year. Shirley was a member of the Phi Mu sorority and kept in touch with many of her sorority sisters through their Round Robin letters for over sixty years. After graduating from Gettysburg, Shirley taught both French and Math for several years in New Jersey. She soon met the love of her life, Donald Frank Busch, on a blind date arranged by mutual friends. They were married on her birthday on February 21, 1953, chosen so her engineering husband would only have one date to remember. During her husband's 32-year career at IBM, IBM became synonymous with "I've Been Moved" as the family relocated every 4 years while Don's career at IBM advanced. Shirley made lifelong friends in the many IBM towns located up and down the east coast resulting in her Christmas card list exceeding 150. Sharing a love of the beach, Shirley and Don's final move was to Pawleys Island, SC in 1987 when Don retired from IBM. Shirley was an active member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and an avid USTA tennis player as a member of the Litchfield Racquet Club, achieving a 3.0 ranking and representing the state senior women at the USTA/Volvo Tennis League Southern Sectional in New Orleans in 1990. Shirley’s children and grandchildren visited every summer for a family reunion at a rented beach house for over 30 years. Shirley spent many years developing a free tutoring program for high school students in the Waccamaw School district under the auspices of the St. Peter's Lutheran Church Learning Center. She created a network of volunteers, many among her retired friends, to tutor students in any subject through the program which began shortly after the school opened in 1990 and grew over the next 10 years under Shirley's tutelage to be the largest in South Carolina, helping many hundreds of students. Shirley received the Volunteer of the Year award from the Pawleys Island Rotary Club in 1994 for her work on the tutoring program. Her husband lovingly referred to her as T Squared, for tennis and tutoring. Shirley cherished friends and family and will be remembered for her unwavering kindness, generous spirit and warm smile. The family would like to thank the amazing caregivers from The Key/Home Care Assistance and Agape Hospice for their loving care and support, enabling Shirley to live out her days at home. A memorial service is planned for some time in the future. Memorials may be made to Agape Hospice, 3938 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 65 Crooked Oak Dr. and Highway 17, Pawleys Island, SC 29585.

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Shirley Thomas Busch

February 21, 1930 - July 17, 2022