Shirley Dunning's Obituary
In Loving Memory of Shirley Ann Dunning
Sunrise: January 28, 1959
Sunset: April 17, 2025
Shirley Ann Dunning, a faithful servant of Yahweh, devoted wife, nurturing mother, treasured grandmother, and beloved sister, transitioned peacefully into eternity on April 17, 2025. She was 66 years old.
Shirley was born in the warmth of Florida and raised in the soul-rich soil of Selma, Alabama—a true Southern peach, full of wisdom, strength, and grace. The South was in her spirit: sweet and strong, fiery and faithful. From these roots, she grew into a woman who would become a counselor to many, a warrior in prayer, and a sacred matriarch in her community.
She opened her heart and her home to everyone—family, neighbors, even strangers—offering warmth, wisdom, and a plate full of love. Her Southern cooking was legendary, her door always open, her kitchen a sanctuary. Many were healed by her prayers, but also by her collard greens, cornbread, and unconditional hospitality.
Shirley walked in a deep and abiding devotion to Yahweh, and she instilled that same faith in her children and grandchildren. She was their counselor, their protector, their encourager, and their intercessor. She covered her family with scripture, prayer, and presence. Her legacy is living, breathing, and eternal.
She is survived by her loving husband, Willie Johnson, and her six children: Laticia Shantel Dunning, Chennel Dunning, Jerelle Dunning, Michael Dunning, O’Shea Dunning, and Kendrick Kelly; along with her devoted son-in-law, Joseph Etienne, and beloved daughter-in-law, Netnapa Dunning.
She also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren: Josiah Etienne, Joshua Etienne, Maliyah Buckhana, Jacoby Dunning, and Aprielle Etienne.
Her memory is honored by her siblings: Patricia Dunning, John Reese, Tina Reese, and Tiny Reese; and her beloved cousins, with whom she was raised and loved like siblings: Willie James Dunning, Lillian Denise Dunning, Ricky Lee Dunning, Anita Smith, Apostle Carolyn Dunning, and Annette Dunning.
She also leaves behind a host of nieces, cousins, and loved ones from the Dunning family, the Johnson family, and the Reese family.
A celebration of her life will be held at Bergen Funeral Home. Further service details will be announced by the family.
Though Shirley Ann Dunning has stepped through the veil, her spirit lives on—in the prayers we still feel, the meals we still remember, and the love that never left.
“Her children rise up and call her blessed.” – Proverbs 31:28
Poem: “The One We Still Call Home”
We have not yet found a word
for what it means
to miss the hands
that shaped our world,
the voice that softened storms.
You were not just our mother—
you were the place we could fall into
when life hit too hard.
You were warmth wrapped in laughter,
truth wrapped in tenderness,
silence that understood our hearts.
We reach for you
in moments you used to fill
without asking.
In the rhythm of a song.
In the quiet before sleep.
In the ache we don’t speak.
You were not just our mother—
you were our friend.
The one who saw us
when we didn’t know how to be seen.
You were prayer in human form.
A comfort that never had to be explained.
And now that you’ve gone beyond the veil,
we walk with your echoes.
We live with your light sewn into our breath.
We miss your smile.
We miss your laughter.
And we miss the way you didn’t play
when it came to your family—
fierce, protective, proud.
But now, you have transitioned—looking out for us in a more powerful state.
Thank you, Mother, for carrying us, loving us, nurturing us,
and now being an ancestral guardian watching over us.
What’s your fondest memory of Shirley?
What’s a lesson you learned from Shirley?
Share a story where Shirley's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Shirley you’ll never forget.
How did Shirley make you smile?