Shirley Gaskins Brown

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Shirley Gaskins Brown, 77, of Indio, Calif., died Sept. 29, 2009, in Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif. Shirley died of heart failure.

She was born Feb. 13, 1932, in Harrisburg in Lightner Hospital, the daughter of late Thoral and Maude (Logsdon) Gaskins. She was the older sister of Joan Gaskins Harper of Harrisburg, who survives. In 1961, she married Daniel C. Brown, who preceded her in death in 2003.

She attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Mass., and graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Washington University.

She worked as an accountant and as a college instructor in accounting. She and Dan lived at different times in Saint Louis, Mo.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Harrisburg; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Palm Desert, Calif. They both enjoyed travel, sports, collecting and creating works of art and charitable endeavors. Shirley also enjoyed playing bridge and was an avid reader.

She is survived by her sister, Joan Gaskins Harper of Harrisburg; two nephews, Robert Harper of Chesterfield, Mo., and Charles Harper of Montrose, Colo.; and a niece, Martha Yeahquo of Peachland, N.C.

As to her wishes, her body has been cremated and a memorial service will be held at Glen O. Jones Lake at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. Friends and family are invited to be there.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Heart Association would be greatly appreciated.