Shirley Ann Tythe Dollar

Shirley Ann Tythe Dollar, 80, died on June 23 in Tallahassee, Fla., after a long illness. She was born Aug. 26, 1934, in London, England. The hospital was in the Shoreditch district, in the East End, within earshot of the bells of St. Mary’s-le-Bow. That made her a Cockney, and privy to a colorful cultural heritage that included the fabled “rhyming slang” and a genetic repute for abundant pluck and wit. Her determination and lively sense of humor carried her through every challenge in life. She was barely six years old when German forces launched the London Blitz during World War II, and was evacuated to the countryside. At 15, she left home and began to make her own way. She worked on Fleet Street, then the bustling heart of England’s newspaper industry, and a publishing house. Evenings found her listening to jazz at clubs like Ronnie Scott’s, or dancing to big band music at halls like the Lyceum, in Covent Garden, where one night in 1956 she met a lanky American serviceman stationed in London. Before long, she was engaged to Gwyn Dollar, of Tallahassee, Florida, and was en route to the United States. They wed in 1957, and the next year, their son Steven was born. Television was the emerging medium of the late 1950s and Shirley took a job at WCTV, where she worked for 34 years, retiring as national sales coordinator. She made many friends at work, and everywhere else, through all her years. Shirley’s bright and constant smile, keen humor and upbeat spirit made people want to know her. Decades in the Deep South never fully erased her English accent, which always caught attention. She was a great lover of gardens and flowers, and a gifted floral arranger, who was a member of two garden clubs. She also was a member of the local British club, and an ardent consumer of historical novels and BBC programs, who could quote Shakespeare as readily as Judge Judy. She is survived by her husband and son, as well as a large extended family in England. An afternoon tea party will be held in Shirley’s honor on Saturday, Aug. 15, in the Jubilee Cottage at Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Todd Wahlquist of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Shirley Ann Tythe Dollar

August 26, 1934 - June 23, 2015