It is with great sadness that the VCCCDRA has learned of the passing of Shirley Tucker, retired Home Economics instructor at Ventura College. At 107 years of age, Shirley was the oldest VCCCD retiree. She retired from the district in 1981.
Having completed the two-year program available at Victoria College, Shirley’s education took her to the US: she earned a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington and a Master’s degree from Columbia University Teacher’s College in New York. A specialist in textiles, she taught home economics, serving as a faculty member at Oregon State University, UCLA and Ventura College, where she was the home economics department chairperson for many years.
Shirley retired in 1981 and returned to Victoria. She moved back into the family home that she first occupied in 1932 and remained there for life. Shirley was active in several local organizations, including the Victoria College Craigdarroch Castle Alumni Association, where she served as president in the mid-1980s. As a longtime docent at Craigdarroch Castle, she engaged visitors from around the world with stories and photos of her time as a student there in the 1930s, when Victoria College held classes and dances at the Castle. In addition to her travels and affiliations with Canadian organizations, Shirley remained active and interested in developments at Ventura College and with the retirees’ association for decades after her retirement. She sustained longtime friendships with many of her former colleagues at Ventura College.
Please use this link to read Shirley’s obituary.
