Shirley Jean Mccord

Shirley Jean McCord peacefully passed away from natural causes on February 4, 2025, at the
age of 95. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 12, 1929, Shirley was the daughter of
Mildred and Wilbur Vollers. She spent her early years on a farm during the Great Depression,
leaving Missouri at the age of eight when her family moved to Pasadena, California.
Shirley attended University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a degree in art. It
was during her time in college that she met her first husband, John R. Aston. After graduation,
the couple married and John joined the army where he was stationed at Fort Knox. After his
service, they moved to Arizona for a year to study Latin American business and Spanish at the
renowned Thunderbird School of Global Management. Following John’s graduation, they
relocated to New Orleans for his first job in the oil industry and where they welcomed their first
son, John Stephen. Soon after, they moved to Venezuela for John’s work and where they had
their second son, Peter Richard.

Shirley and her family spent 12 years in Venezuela with her working as a teacher in international
schools. The family developed life-long friendships and had rich experiences living there,
immersed in the culture and lifestyle. Her Spanish was also honed there, and she often reverted
to it in later years.

The family returned to Houston in 1967, and she became an art teacher at Spring Forest Junior
High School. During this time Shirley’s marriage ended in divorce, but her strength and
resilience shone through as she moved forward in life.

In 1976 Shirley married Tom Short and together they lived overseas, first in Algeria and later in
Iran, where Tom worked in the oil industry. During their time in Tehran, they experienced the
turbulence of the Iranian Revolution, and Shirley bravely endured the upheaval, evacuating on
the last commercial flight before the new regime came to power.

After returning to Houston, that marriage too ended in divorce, but Shirley’s adventurous spirit
led her to start anew in Brenham, Texas. There she opened an interior design business and met
Tom McCord, a retired Army Colonel. Shirley and Tom enjoyed a wonderful life together
traveling extensively throughout Europe, including trips to Australia, Turkey, Morocco, and
Russia, creating lasting memories along the way. Throughout her life, she traveled or lived in
over 25 different countries.

While in Brenham, Shirley and Tom hosted many gatherings uniting their families together. This
was an important aspect of Shirley’s life and her artistic flair and generous hospitality flourished.
Memories for all the generations were created at bar-b-ques, potlucks and various reunions.
Shirley and Tom moved to The Woodlands in 1998, enjoying a retired lifestyle in their over-55
community with lots of church involvement. After Tom’s passing, Shirley continued to live in The
Woodlands, Texas, until her health required more specialized care in her later years.
She will be remembered for her constant cheerful disposition, her generous heart, her
unwavering determination, her sense of humor, her artistic spirit, her curiosity, her adventurous
soul, her love for her family and exploring the world. And, of course, her passion for hats.
She developed special relationships with her adult stepchildren that have lasted through the
years and so enjoyed connecting with their children and grandchildren.

Shirley is survived by her two sons, John Aston and his spouse Sharon Aston, Pete Aston and
his spouse Carla Aston. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Lacey Aston, Trevor Aston
and his spouse Lindsay Aston and Tori Aston. Her brother, Gary Vollers and his Partner Aase
Christiansen, also survive her. She was predeceased by her parents and her husband.

A memorial service will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Brenham, Texas, on March
22, 2025 at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association