Shirley Joyce Beélik

Shirley J. Beélik Longtime Shelton resident Shirley Joyce (Kennedy) Beélik died July 9 in Seattle. She was born September 18, 1923, in Toronto, Canada, to Angus and Eva Kennedy. She earned a degree in botany from University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in library science from McGill University in Montrèal, where she met and fell in love with Andrew Beélik, a recent Hungarian immigrant. They married in Toronto in 1951. After Andrew earned his doctorate, he was hired as a chemist at Rayonier’s research laboratory and the couple moved to Shelton. Shirley’s widowed mother joined them around 1960 and lived with the couple for 39 years. The Beéliks moved to Skyline Retirement Community in Seattle in 2012. Shirley was head librarian at the Shelton City Library until1965, then left for the Washington State Library, working in a cooperative venture between the state library and Department of Corrections. Later, she was the first of the state’s librarians trained in computer data-base use for medical and science research. She retired from the reference section of the library in 1988. The Beéliks enjoyed gardening on their Hammersley Inlet property, and loved classical music, serving on the board of the Community Concert Association. The couple was active at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church in Shelton, where Shirley was a member of the choir and served on the vestry. They were active in the Black Hills Audubon Society, and organized annual birding trips on Hood Canal and elsewhere. They also traveled with birding groups to Switzerland, Australia, and Latin America. Their travels included a number of trips to Hungary, and to Scotland and England, where Shirley’s parents were born. Shirley was preceded in death by her husband. She is survived by her sister, Marjorie Kennedy Hemphill; brother Donald Kennedy of Toronto; niece Eve Alyson Ishizuka and nephews Christopher James and Jonathan Stuart, all of Seattle; nieces Anne Kennedy of Ajax, Ontario, and Barbara Kennedy of Edmonton, Alberta; nephews David Kennedy of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and Bruce Kennedy of Guelph, Ontario; and brother-in-law Victor Beélik of Zephyr Cove, Nevada. A memorial service will be held at St. David’s Church at a future date. Arrangements were by Beck’s Tribute Center. The family asks that donations in her memory be made to the World Wildlife Fund.