Shirley Blake was born in Houston, Texas, on September 9, 1941, and was raised by her grandparents who owned their own farm. Shirley was a little rebel. She loved animals and had her own horse that followed her around and the cows followed her home. Shirley was sent to San Diego, CA, to be raised by her two aunts, Allee Smith and Modell Bailey, when her grandmother passed away. Both aunts were in the church, had full time jobs, and were rebels. Allee, the youngest, was a secretary and lead singer at her church. She raised money for the church by catching blue gill and took Shirley along. Allee and Shirley would fry and see the fish. If you ever had Shirley’s fish sandwich, you would not have forgotten. Modell raised money for her church from baking. Shirley learned cooking skills from both of her aunts. They went to Delmar Fair, Mission Beach, the race track, fishing and church.
Shirley went to Memorial Junior High School and then graduated at San Diego High School. She liked to dance, listen to music, and go to Ocean View Park. Shirley had two children, Marlyn and Eugene. Both loved their mother and had a very strong bond with her. They did everything together from planning holiday cooking to keeping secrets until Marlyn’s death in 2015. Eugene was her baby boy. She made him to be a fighter. She moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in the 60’s for better opportunities and began as a culinary union member for 30 years even after her husband’s death. In 1983, she became a supervisor and moved back to San Diego where she rented rooms for 25 years. She was good at it until she started getting arthritis, then moved with her son after her husband’s death in 2015. There, with her son, she taught her son how to cook family dishes. She would always say to everyone, “Let God handle your problems”.
Shirley passed away on May 8, 2025, in Peace, with her son by her side.
Shirley leaves to mourn her late mother Earlee Benson, her grandfather James Bailey, her grandmother Josephine Bailey, her aunts; Allee B. Smith and Modell Wotten, her uncles; Archie Wotten and Frank Smith, her husband Essie Blake, her husband Albert Rushing, her daughter Marlyn Joyce Wotton, her son Eugen Johnson, and a host of other family members.
