Shirley Ann Pipkin
Courtesy Stancil Family Reunion Archive
Shirley Ann Pipkin, daughter of George Dallas Pipkin Sr. and Thelma Stancil Pipkin, was born on December 29, 1942, in Newport News, Virginia. She was the younger sister of George Dallas "Dee Dee" Pipkin Jr. and the older sister of Alice Pipkin Parker.
Archive
She attended Newport News High School in Virginia.
While still in high school, Shirley married Jerry Lee Woodlief Sr. on Nov. 11, 1960, at 17 years old. They were married at Orcutt Avenue Baptist Church in Newport News by the Rev. W.P. Milne. Jerry, an electrician for Perry Electric Co., turned 18 on his wedding day. He is the son of Henry and Virginia Smallwood Woodlief of Newport News.
Shirley went on to graduate from Newport News High School in 1961. Together they raised two sons:
- Jerry Lee Woodlief Jr.
- Gregory Scott Woodlief
Shirley's life was deeply rooted in family, and her children's accomplishments became part of her legacy.
Her Children and Their Families
Shirley and Jerry later divorced on Aug. 3, 1979, after about 15 months of separation (April 22, 1977). Shirley was living in Yankton, South Dakota, at the time of divorce, according to the divorce certificate.
Shirley would return to Hayes, Virginia. Shirley later married Larry Anderson Van Arsdale in March 1983 in Gloucester, Virginia, though the marriage was annulled shortly afterward and legally treated as though it had not existed. She remained in Hayes while Larry went to New York.
She remained deeply connected to her children, grandchildren, and extended Stancil family.
Shirley would often join her sister and brother and mom at the annual Stancil Family Reunion.
Shirley passed away on January 30, 2022, at the age of 79 in Newport News, Virginia. Her life touched many through her family, her kindness, and the generations who carry her legacy forward.
— Renn Stancil Hinton, daughter of George Ralph Stancil
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