Shirley May Bradley Houser

Shirley May Bradley Houser, 88, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother of Kingsport, Tennessee, entered the gates of Heaven, Friday August 16, 2024. Her faithful son Rob by her side as she took her last breath, she was also surrounded by her loving family in the days leading to her passing. 

 Shirley was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She was married to Richard (Dick) Owen Houser in 1955 and they lived in Livonia, Michigan where she spent many years raising her 5 children until she went to work as a dental assistant. In 1977, the family moved to Kingsport, Tennessee for Dick's job with Shirley kicking and screaming. Years later, she admitted to loving Tennessee and never wanting to go back to Michigan despite desperately missing her beloved sisters and brother to whom she was extremely close. Family gatherings amongst those siblings was a recipe for lots of laughter and craziness. Once the family moved to Tennessee, Shirley took a position as bank teller at Citizens Union Bank where she was fondly known as the "drive through lady" providing suckers to kids and dog treats to pups until her retirement.

Shirley loved Christmas most of all and loved decorating every square inch of their home. Some of the family’s best memories were Christmas morning with all of her kids, spouses and grandchildren getting together to open gifts and share meals. Most of all, Shirley loved her kids and especially took delight in her grandchildren. There was nothing she loved more than getting down on the floor despite all that old arthritis and playing for hours with them. She even had her own made-up language that made her family laugh and even to this day her grandchildren are sharing with their children.

Shirley is preceded in death by her parents Richard and Anna Bradley, sisters Annabelle Williamson and Beverly Sinclair, brother Thomas Bradley, nephew Billy Williamson and her loving husband of 65 years (Richard Owen Houser).

Those left to cherish her memory and to miss her daily are her 5 children: daughters Jan Houser LeBlanc (Charlie) of Kingsport, TN, Laurie Houser Combs (Leonard) of Blountville, TN, sons (twins) Richard Houser (Janelle) of Hoover, AL, Ronald Houser (Stefanie) of Knoxville, TN, and Robert Houser (Kathy) of Knoxville, TN. 11 Grandchildren Ben (Rachel) and Justin (Kourtney) Houser, Amanda Houser Holt (Kris), Dawson Houser (Maddie), Malcom Nunn (Elizabeth), Brad Houser (Stephanie), Kaitlin Houser Hampton (Will), Jennifer LeBlanc, Hannah, Eli and Jordan Combs. 11 Great-grandchildren, Jack and Caleb Houser, Karley, Aubrey, Gavin and Amos Holt, Layla and Olivia Houser, Brooks and Blair Hampton and Emmerson (Emmy) Houser, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews and their children. 

A family Celebration of Life service will be held at First Broad Street United Methodist Church and she will be inurned in the church columbarium. 

Special thanks to the staff at Steadman Hills assisted living for their exceptional loving care of our precious mother for the past 5 years and to Amedisys Hospice for their additional loving care for the past 2 years. 

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Judes, Online Donations - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org) or a charity of your choosing.