East-West Parkway to Be Named after Former Mayor Richard Shirley
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
On Saturday, Anderson will honor a man whose service to the city and county is not forgotten.
The East-West Parkway will be named after former Anderson Mayor Richard A. Shirley, who also served on city council and Anderson County Clerk of Court, in a ceremony at 10 a.m. at the roadway’s Francis M. Crowder Park.
Speakers for the event will include Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns, Anderson County Councilman Chris Sullivan, who represents the district where the parkway runs, S.C. Rep. Don Chapman, Carol Burdette, Barry Knobel (Shirley’s uncle), Rachelle Shirley (Shirley’s widow) and Tandy Wickiser.
The move to honor Richard Shirley began when a group of local citizens led by Rep. Chapman, Paul Brown and others explored the idea to honor him for his years of service and contributions to the county. A plan was later approved by the Anderson County Legislative Delegation and the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
“Richard Shirley contributed many things to the county and this is an appropriate tribute to his memory,” said Burns.
Shirley, who died suddenly on Dec. 8 in 2022 from a heart attack, devoted his entire career to Anderson County, beginning in 1978 at age 23, when he became the youngest person ever elected to Anderson City Council, where he remained for 20 years.
“He’s one of the finest public servants I have ever known and had an unmatched knowledge of Anderson and everybody in it,” said Burns, a friend and longtime colleague of Shirley's. “Richard was a statesman, and he revolutionized the Clerk of Court Office. He was also a joy to work with and be around and one of the funniest people you will ever meet. He is sorely missed.”
Shirley was elected mayor in 1998, and served two terms (replacing Mayor Darwin Wright, who retired from the position), ending in 2006, when he lost the election to current Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts.
In an interview from 2019, Shirley said that defeat was bitter but turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“The night I was defeated I was not a happy camper,” said Shirley. “But the banking world was changing dramatically, and I was offered a chance to get out of banking, which included a financial package, and had I been elected mayor again, I would not have been in a position to run for Anderson Clerk of Court. But as it was, I was available to take this job, which I absolutely love.”
Shirley was appointed to fill the clerk position in 2010 to finish the unexpired term of the late Cathy Phillips, and won re-election in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
A life-long resident of Anderson Shirley grew up working in the family business, Shirley’s Auto Glass and Trim Shop on Market Street, where he went after school at McCant’s Junior High School and continued this work every day while attending T.L. Hanna High School.
Shirley said the early work experience was valuable and taught him a lot about human nature. He said he continued work in the family business until getting a job as a banker at Southern National Bank, news he said “thrilled” his mother.
"From his time as the remarkably skinny classmate “Ricky” Shirley at North Fant Elementary until the last time I saw the Mayor Richard Shirley at one of our recent gatherings of the “Old Geezers” of T.L. Hanna, Class of 1972, he was a good friend who always left me smiling and my spirits lifted when our paths would cross," said lifelong friend Randy Bannister at the time of Shirley’s death. "Richard was a force of nature who truly led a life well lived. We’ll never be the same without him, but he certainly left a remarkable legacy of service that will ensure we never forget him."
Over the years, he was involved in many community projects and was instrumental in the birth and rebirth of the Anderson Soiree and was excited at the reboot of the downtown festival this year.
His community service was broad and rich, including taking the lead in saving the G. Ross Anderson Federal Building in Anderson.
Those who knew Shirley, will remember his dedication to Anderson, his quick smile and his ability to inject humor into almost any situation.
Shirley’s tribute to his close friend, longtime Anderson Attorney and Former City Councilman Tommy Dunaway, who passed away in 2020, seems to also be a fitting quote for his own contributions to this community:
“The fruits of his labor in Anderson will be seen and felt here for generations, even when people don't realize he was behind some of the things they are enjoying,” said Shirley. “He always wanted Anderson to be a city that other communities looked to for leadership."
