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LANETT — Lanett Council Member Shirley Motley died Friday afternoon following an extended illness. She was nearing the completion of her third four-year term in office. She had been elected in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Either as a council member, city clerk or treasurer, she had served the City of Lanett in some capacity since the 1970s.

“Shirley was such a giving person and made everyone she talked to feel special,” said Lanett Mayor Kyle McCoy. “Like Bobby Williams, who passed away recently, she is irreplaceable. I’ve lost the two people I could always count on for anything to know about from years back. The first person I would call on would be Bobby and then Shirley. It’s really hard to have lost both of them in a short period of time.”

Motley had been a cheerleader at Lanett High in the 1960s and later on took on a similar role for the city.

Always optimistic, she was one of the town’s best boosters.

“She would always stick up for the guys who worked for the city,” McCoy said. “She always appreciated them, what they did and saw that they were treated right. Shirley was such a good listener. She would sit down with you, listen to what you had to say and then offer her take on any subject. She was a Lanett person through and through and always a great asset for our city.”