Shirley Jean Lipsey, 90, died Sept. 30, 2017.
Mrs. Lipsey was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She was a graduate of Omaha Central High School and attended UCLA and University of Omaha. She married James L. Lipsey in Omaha in 1947. In Omaha, she was a pioneer in the development of the Head Start education program and served as a Head Start teacher in the inner city. She was instrumental in the formation of the Panel of American Women in Omaha and served as a panelist for several years. She also served on the Omaha Human Relations Board Citizens Advisory Committee on Education. She participated in the Wednesdays in Mississippi civil rights program and demonstrated her commitment to desegregation by working in Mississippi, at great personal risk, in 1965. She was a member of the board of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Beth El Synagogue, and Temple Israel. In 1975, she and her husband retired to Tucson, where she was a member of Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Or Chadash, the National Council of Jewish Women, and the Saguaro Horsemen’s Association. She supported Tucson Centers for Women and Children and its successor, Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse.
Mrs. Lipsey was predeceased by her husband, James Lipsey.
Survivors include her sons, Robert Lipsey of Flagstaff, Arizona, and Joseph (Heather) Lipsey of Tucson; daughter, Sally Scott of Tucson; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held Friday, Oct. 20, 3:30 p.m. at The Forum, 2500 N. Rosemont Blvd.
Memorial contributions may be made to Planned Parenthood.
