ShirLee Stermer

Return to "Where Are They Now?"

Name
ShirLee Stermer McGarry-White
Address

5443 W. 5400 S.
Salt Lake City, UT 84118
s_mcgarry@yahoo.com
801-856-6594

Bio

Memories: I remember Lynn Adkins and Tom Calo driving me home from school a couple of times. Also being asked to the senior dance by Gaylord Tripp and my mom wouldn't allow me to go to a dance. I lived a pretty sheltered life so didn't really get to know a lot of my fellow classmates since I wasn't allowed to go to school activities. I was involved in choir and drama. I received my senior pictures but they didn't go in the 1962, year book since I had to finish a couple months later when I became ill and hospitalized. What a bummer that was! I remember Howard Wood. I was surprised to see a couple of the popular girls in school at church stake dances here in Utah back in the mid sixties.

During my teens I was active in the musical evangelism and was featured by Phil Kerr and Audrey Meier who were the founders of the Youth For Christ org. on campuses across the state. This is where I learned a lot of my musical improvisation abilities by listening and participating in gospel and soul music and loved the gospel quartet singers and was involved in musical evangelism programs.

Background: Originally from CA, I was raised in the entertainment industry and performed professionally from the age of three until 1992. I taught piano and voice for twenty years, and was lead vocalist and keyboard player in a soft rock band and also played piano bar in CA and UT. As a child I appeared as guest artist on Bob Hope, Steve Allen, Lawrence Welch show playing my accordion. I started singing on radio at the age of three, accordion lesson at the age of four, and piano the age of six.

Professional/Business: Moving to Utah in the 70's, I owned and managed a retail pet store in Ogden, UT for eight years. I founded two corporations, Liberty Arts School of the performing Arts and Showbiz Productions, Inc., teaching children in vocal, dance, and drama, presenting musical shows all over the state. I was getting ready to franchise when my daughter died and I closed down all my business operations to take care of family issues.

In 1983, I won first place in the children's music division, in the Utah's Composer Guild annual composition contest, competing with composers from all over the world and I have published musical works.

I worked in the state university system for 12 years in administration. I currently work in the Sales & Marketing Dept. for Easton Technical Products, manufacturer of aluminum and carbon arrows, and tubing and tent stakes, ski poles, and snowshoes. Corporate office is in Van Nuys, CA and they make hockey equipment, bicycles, etc. Remember the first Aluminum bat to come out? These are the guys in the sport industry making it big after 80 plus years.

Interests: My passion is writing. I am currently finishing up my Master of Fine Art Degree in creative writing from National University in La Jolla, CA. (Better late than never!) I have seven published poems, including USA and Internationally with Noble House Publishers and many others publishers and have published a couple musical plays.

My goals are publication in short story form and ultimately a novel. I enjoy the creative process in many genres. I just finished writing a short story and a screenplay in two of my classes. What a trip!

On a personal note, I had five children, three girls and two boys. My oldest daughter died when a teen but the others are grown and married giving me now 10 grandchildren. I was married 18 years (Smith) then divorced, than remarried until my husband (Chris McGarry) died in 1994. I've been a widow for over 12 years. I just recently got married on July 29th of this year to Warren S. White from UT, who has three children and three grandchildren making 13 grandchildren total so far, thus the name, ShirLee McGarry-White, maiden name (Stermer).