Shirley Mann Sayre

Date of Death

April 6, 2018

Shirley Mann Sayre, beloved mother, teacher, and friend passed away April 6, 2018. She was a much-loved wife, mother, teacher, writer, traveler and friend.

Born in Kansas City, MO, she moved to Hollywood when she was three, with her mother Rose and brother Leonard. There she developed life-long loves of musical theatre, writing, art, literature and travel.

She graduated from Hollywood High School at age 16, and went to UCLA, Berkeley, and USC, graduating from UCLA in 1948. She enlisted in the Spars and was stationed in Alaska where she met her future husband, Bob Sayre. They married in 1948 in Carmel, CA.

Together, Shirley and Bob moved to New York and there Shirley became a copywriter for Young and Rubicam, where she worked on a number of prominent accounts. In New York the young couple saw several Broadway shows during what was “The Golden Years of Broadway” with such actors as Marlon Brando, Lawrence Olivier, Lee J. Cobb among others.

She traveled with Bob to Europe, staying there for a year, working as she could and traveling extensively. She is survived by two sons, Scott and Clark, two daughter-in-laws, (Nancy Lee Sayre, and Sharon Sayre) and two grandchildren, (Blaine Sayre and Kailey Sayre). She easily developed many friendships with her warm and devoted compassion and wide-ranging intellect.

Shirley taught elementary school at a variety of locations throughout Santa Barbara and Goleta, including McKinley, Foothill, Mountain View, and El Rancho, and was greatly-loved and admired as a teacher.

She loved and delighted in her family and their accomplishments, the artwork of her husband, the writing and teaching of Scott, and the singing, directing of Clark, and the accomplishments of her grandchildren.

A memorial will be held in early June at the Unitarian Church, but no date has yet been set. The family welcomes donations in Shirley Sayre’s name to the Dos Pueblos High Theatre Department www.dptheatrecompany.org. There is a memorial website at www.forevermissed.com under Shirley Mann Sayre.

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