Born with spina bifida, Shirlee Ingalls spent much of her life as an exemplary mother, social activist, and undaunted optimist in a wheelchair. Shirlee, who passed on in late November, was also a longtime Keene student, beginning in 1974 and taking a course or two each year until the fall of 2004. She took a break for a few years and then enrolled in a class with sociology professor Dr. Margaret Walsh in the spring 2010 semester, so she touched many lives here at KSC. “She was such an inspiration,” Dr. Walsh recalled. Shirlee’s ultimate ambition was to be a licensed social worker.
Here are part one and part two of a presentation Shirlee gave to students in Dr. Walsh’s social problems class in 2010. The video quality is poor, since it was shot on a cell phone camera, but you can see Shirlee speaking about her work at the community kitchen and the need to help poor families locally.
For more on the remarkable Shirlee Ingalls, please see the inspiring article on her in the Keene Sentinel.
Do you remember Shirlee? Leave a comment.
I met Shirlee as a child. We were both from the Old North End. At 10 years old you don’t always know what to make of someone with Shirlee’s condition but she made it easy with her bright eyes and smile. She always showed interest and concern for others around her. I don’t have many heroes in my life but I think I have found one in Shirlee. I’m sorry to say that I live out of state now and so have not seen her a lot over the years but have kept in touch by hearing stories through my sister, Lee. They have been great friends throughout these last 40 years. It broke her heart to lose Shirlee. My condolences to her family and friends.