Dr. Shirley M. Gantt, age 76, of Carrollton, Georgia passed away on Friday evening, January 13, 2017. She was born November 13, 1940 in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of the late Samuel French Matheny and the late Estee Moore Matheny.

Shirley was a graduate of Carson Newman University and received her MA and Doctorate from Nova University. She spent her career in the field of Education. She was the Headmaster of Wesleyan Day School in Atlanta for many years before moving to Carrollton Georgia. She then became the Director of the Learning Tree and then the Director of Instruction at West Central Tech. Shirley then worked for the State Department of Education where she retired.

Throughout her life she taught Sunday School and supported the music ministry where her husband served. Shirley was well educated and respected in her career, a devout Christian and loved her family. She and Jack had been married 54 years.

Survivors include her husband, Rev. Jack Gantt; daughters and sons-in-law: Stephanie & Todd Casper of Cumming, Georgia and Adrienne & Richard Baker of Dawsonville, Georgia; brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Dr. Ann Matheny of Zebulon, North Carolina; and two grandchildren: Sidney Steele Baker and Grayson Jack Hodge.

Memorial services will be conducted at 4:00 PM on Thursday, January 19, 2017 from Tabernacle Baptist Church with Dr. David Taylor and Dr. Stephen Allen officiating.

The family will receive friends at the church from 2:00 PM until the hour of service. Those seated as honorary pallbearers will be members of the Gantt Girls Sunday School Class, the Claque, and Tanner Hospice staff members.

In keeping with her wishes, the body will be cremated. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.martin-hightower.com. Martin & Hightower Heritage Chapel has charge of the arrangements.

The Olin L. Gammage and Sons Funeral Home is making this local announcement for the family of Dr. Shirley M. Gantt.