W. Larry Shirley was born on September 26, 1938 in Darlington County, SC to Edward and Frances Washington Shirley. He attended the public schools there and graduated from Butler High School in Hartsville, SC.

Larry moved to New York where he continued his education and received an Associate Degree in Graphic Arts at NY City Community College and pursued further study at Baruch College. He worked a number of jobs in NYC including: American Stock Exchange, Federal Reserve Bank, Union Carbide Corp. While working at the National Industrial Conference Board he met his future wife Josie Lee Simons. Larry moved to Winston-Salem, NC in 1976 where he worked in Quality Control in the Can Division of Rexam (formerly Schlitz, et al). He was retired from Rexam after 28 years. He worked part-time at WXII. He created a partnership in a Graphic Design Company; SBR & Associates, Inc. He was a member of First Baptist Church.

He leaves behind his wife of 55 years Josie and their two children Mark and Angela both of Forestville, MD; Two Grandchildren: Christopher (Pamela) Shirley in Herndon, VA and Crystal S. (Lorenzo) Lampley in Oakland Park, FL. One Great grand daughter Lyric A. Lampley. One sister, Barbara S. (Bobby) Hibbert of Bronx, NY; a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at First Baptist Church-Highland Avenue. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the service. Interment at Piedmont Memorial Gardens.