Shirley Leighton

Shirley Leighton, age 85, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 17, 2026.

Born on March 17, 1941, in McRae, Georgia, Shirley was a proud 1958 graduate of Telfair County High School. She dedicated many years of her life to serving others as a Registered Nurse, providing compassionate care with kindness, grace, and unwavering devotion. Nursing was more than a profession to Shirley—it was a calling, and she touched countless lives through her caring heart and gentle spirit.

Shirley will be remembered as a compassionate nurse, a devoted wife, a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. She had a servant’s heart and always put the needs of others before her own. Her warmth, generosity, and quiet strength left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

Shirley was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Art Leighton; her daughter, Gail Klostermeyer; her father, Curtis Yawn; her mother, Lila Mae Smith; her sister, LaRue Dykes; brothers-in-law, Ernest Dykes, Sr. and Carol Adams; and her nephew, Ernest Dykes, Jr.

She is survived by her three sons: Rick Grimes (Helen) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Kirk Grimes (Dawan) of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Stan Grimes (Roberta) of Uganda. She is also survived by her sister, Janet Rogers (Emory) of McRae, Georgia; her son-in-law, Bryan Klostermeyer of Wilmington, North Carolina; several beloved nieces and nephews, including Tim Dykes, Barbara Mailes (Mike), and Renee Adams (Brandon Force); 14 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 2 great great-grandchildren all of whom will cherish her memory and the love she shared so freely.

Above all, Shirley was a woman of deep and abiding faith whose greatest joy came from loving and serving others. She lived with grace, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to caring for those around her. Though her family will miss her deeply, they find peace and comfort in knowing she is now at home with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, reunited with her beloved husband, Art, her daughter Gail, and the loved ones who have gone before her. Her legacy of faith, kindness, compassion, and unconditional love will continue to live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.