David Cay Johnston: “It is very hard to lose an old friend. For me and my family and for many of us in the Senate, Shirley Felix was a…”

“It is very hard to lose an old friend. For me and my family and for many of us in the Senate, Shirley Felix was a friend. For years, whenever we were in the Senators dining room, we stopped to talk to her. Her death, on December 13, was a tremendous loss, not just to her family but also to those who served with her in the offices of the Architect of the Capitol and those of us on whose behalf she worked diligently and tirelessly for many years. Shirley was born on November 8, 1933, in Arlington, VA, the daughter of Dr. Rebecca Plumer and the Elder Irving L. Plummer, Sr. She attended public schools in Washington and completed her education in New York City where she met and married James Felix, Jr. They later moved to Washington, and became the parents of six fine sons. Shirley started working for the Architect of the Capitol in 1967. Her culinary and management skills led to her promotion to the position of banquet manager for the U.S. Senate. It was a position she filled competently, professionally and with extraordinary cheerfulness. Shirley had a good memory and a warm heart. In the big, faceless institution that the Congress has become, with staff changing daily, Shirley remembered who you were, not just Senators but staff as well. She remembered your children's names, and always asked about them. She knew what you liked, and literally worked overtime to see that you got it.”