Shirley Pearson

Anchorage resident Shirley A. Pearson, 86, passed away peacefully on January 26, 2023. She was born July 19, 1936, to parents Morris and Katharyn Irwin. Following her High School graduation in 1954, Shirley went on to graduate from Multnomah School of the Bible with a degree in Biblical Studies, before completing her bachelor’s degree in Education at South Oregon College in 1963.

In 1964, Shirley moved to Alaska as a missionary teacher for Arctic Missions (now InterAct Ministries), teaching at Victory High School and Arctic Bible Institute for many years. Following the closure of VHS, she remained heavily involved in their Native Life outreach programs.

In 1982, Shirley met George K. Pearson, whom she would marry in 1984. Through her marriage, she gained two daughters, thirteen grandchildren, and at the time of her passing, twenty-two great-grandchildren.

Shirley is best known for her loving, gentle personality, and her ability to make people feel better through a simple word or smile. She was very active in her church, serving in various capacities until her homegoing. She will be missed by many.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Morris and Katharyn Irwin; sister, Betty Lightfoot, and survived by husband, George Pearson; stepdaughters, Carole (Ron) Hamman, and Rebecca Jirik; brother Charles Irwin, and her loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Please join us in celebrating her life Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 1:00 PM at Sand Lake Baptist Church, 7434 Jewel Lake Road, Anchorage, Alaska. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to InterAct Ministries, 31000 SE Kelso Rd., Boring, Oregon 97009, or at interactministries.org.