Shirley M. Branden

Shirley M. Branden, age 85, of Newark, DE, passed away on Friday, July 29, 2022. Born in Crane Creek, MO, on October 13, 1936, she was a daughter of the late Lester and Lorene (Miller) Meadows. Shirley received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and later went on to earn three Master of Arts degrees in Spanish, Library Science and English. She began her career teaching Spanish before making the switch to library science. Shirley then worked as a medical librarian in Nebraska, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida before moving to Delaware in early 1986. The majority of her career was spent at the University of Delaware Morris Library, where she served as Head of Reference from early 1986 until her retirement in 2013. Shirley was a longtime member of the American Library Association and a loyal supporter of the University of Delaware Theater Program and Resident Ensemble Players (REP). An avid traveler, Shirley visited many countries including Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Austria, Germany, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, India, Canada, Iceland, France, Italy, Kenya, Turkey, Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. She also visited every state in the U.S. with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii, and North Dakota. Her favorite cities were New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Sydney. Shirley and her daughter, Jane, traveled all over the world together and made frequent trips to New York to shop, go to movies, and to attend the Metropolitan Opera. Shirley was a lifelong book enthusiast who was keenly interested in the works of William Morris, Anthony Trollope, and Percy Bysshe Shelley. A true animal lover, she had many cherished cats including Quito, named for the capital city of Ecuador. She also loved horses and even made a special trip to Kentucky where she met both Seattle Slew and Affirmed. Shirley was a devoted Anglophile and Francophile and loved British comedies, particularly the works of Dame Penelope Keith. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Denis Meadows; nephews Chris and Jacob Meadows; and beloved friend and daughter’s godfather, Stephen Love. She is survived by her daughter, Jane A. Branden; sister, Joyce Anne Sorbet; brothers, John, Mark and Roger Meadows; and numerous nieces and nephews. Services and interment will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Shirley’s memory to Wildlife Warriors USA Inc., P.O. Box 11347, Eugene, OR 97440 or click here; The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, P.O. Box 834, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 or click here; or to The Resident Ensemble Players, 110 Orchard Road, Newark, DE 19716 or click here.

Shirley M. Branden

October 13, 1936 - July 29, 2022