Biography:
Shirley Ann McClung Kitchin, born September 7, 1935 in Homer, Louisiana passed away at home in Little Rock on Monday, March 30, 2026. She is survived by daughter Kay Lynn Basham (husbamd Charles “Chuck” Basham) and son Samuel H. Kitchin of New Jersey. Also by their daughters Conly E. Basham of Ashville, NC and Natalie A. Kitchin of NY. Both granddaughters were “onlies” and were dear to Shirley. 

Her parents were William Harvey McClung and Sibyl Conly McClung. Her mother was a homemaker and her father was the Chief of Police for many years in Minden, Louisiana. Her brother was with the Sheriff’s Department and the Minden Volunteer Fire Department.

She was also preceded in death by her husband Jerry L. Kitchin of Portland, Oregon and Little Rock, AR. Shirley lived in the Portland area with Jerry, Kay and Sam for many enjoyable years with all of her Kitchin family brother and sister-in-laws and all of her many nieces and nephews there.  She also had her own maternal uncle and aunt, Jack and Norma Conly and cousins Laura and Steve Conly, all living in the state of Washington.

Shirley also had many McClung family aunts and uncles and countless 1^st and 2^nd cousins from her father’s McClung family of Homer, LA and many aunts and uncles and cousins from her mother’s Conly families throughout the north western Louisiana area.

Shirley and her brother Willard, both graduated from Minden High School. Two stories she used to share about High School included that she sang so poorly her choir teacher told her to mouth the words and the time she and a girlfriend had their hair in curlers and while looking at the football players on the field down below, she drove her car right up a slanted guy wire supporting a field light. This resulted in her brother who was a trainer for the football team and the entire team having to get the car down.

Despite her lack of vocal talent she loved all things music. While living in Portland she was a member of the Portland Symphony Guild, encouraged her daughter to continue piano lessons into college and involved her in the Minden Little Theatre which resulted in an eventual MFA in Acting from the University of New Orleans for Kay. Her son, Sam, also pursued acting after graduating from Tulane and has eventually gone on to appear in commercials, television and film roles. Her interest in the arts also passed on to her granddaughters. Conly received a Master in Arts Therapy with professional singing and acting engagements. Her granddaughter Natalie is graduating with a Musical Theatre BA and will continue to pursue a career in acting. Nobody could have been prouder of her kids and grandkids than Shirley.

Shirley worked many years and retired from G.E. Appliance Service Repair. She had many fun and interesting stories about co-workers and their tales of homeowner’s appliance woes. She earlier worked at varied jobs including a Dental Supply Co. in Phoenix and a Casket Co. in Los Angeles. Shirley was quite the gabber and it was no surprise that on of her 1^st jobs was as a telephone operator at Barksdale AFB, where she met a young man from Oregon serving as an airman in the early years of data processing, Mr. Jerry Kitchin. Before the family finally located to Little Rock, Shirley worked as a radio dispatch operator for the Minden, Louisiana Police Department. Knowing Shirley, it would not be hard to picture her in an I Love Lucy episode as the gabbing radio dispatcher. She was a life member of the Little Rock Iris Society. She served many years with the group, traveling to national Iris conventions and touring many Iris gardens. It was not a Rhizome sale without Shirley manning the desk for the annual sale and the table at the annual Little Rock Flower Show.