Yvonne Shipman

An adored mother and beloved grandmother, Yvonne Ligon Shipman passed away on January 2, 2025 in Dallas, Texas at the age of 86. She was a beautiful soul and a wonderful and lovely lady who was always there when needed, offering her unwavering support, gentile encouragement and love in abundance. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness and strength and will be greatly missed by her family and all who knew her.

Yvonne was born on September 12, 1938 in Ft. Worth, Texas to Monette and James T. “Tom” Ligon. The family, including younger siblings Linda, Sharon and James “Buddy” eventually settled in Arlington in 1949 where she attended Arlington High School. They later moved to Houston, Texas where she graduated from Lamar High School. While still at Arlington High, Yvonne met and then later married Charles E. Barnes in 1956. They returned to Ft. Worth where Charles graduated from TCU and daughter Melinda was born, later moving to Arlington where daughter Christy was born. 

In 1976, Yvonne married John W. Shipman of Albuquerque, NM and moved to Grand Prairie, Texas. She and John ran their own successful business together and along with traveling to various trade shows throughout the country, kept an office at the Apparel Mart in Dallas for nearly 30 years.

Yvonne had a great love of genealogy and was a proud 5th generation Texan. Her Great, Great Grandfather, Colonel Abe Harris, was an early Ft. Worth settler, who was instrumental in the building of the U.S. Army outpost of Ft. Worth in 1849. She also relished in the music of cousin, drummer and big band leader Ray McKinley. Throughout the years, Yvonne had a true zest for combining her love of travel with visiting historical places throughout the U.S. and abroad.

In her earlier years she worked for New Holland Corporation, was a member of the Arlington Junior Women's Club and was an avid baker, who also enjoyed painting and creating various arts and crafts. Later in life, she enjoyed bible study classes, worked for the US Census Bureau and delighted in collecting Teddy Bears. She was devoted to her beloved cats, Muffy and Big Boy and loved animals of all kinds. Yvonne always enjoyed walking in a park or strolling through a garden, was a great fan of the PBS series Downton Abbey, and enjoyed attending the horse races at Lone Star Park.

Full of love, life and resilience, Yvonne exhibited a warm and sweet countenance, loved to laugh and enjoyed telling many lively stories about her family’s colorful history. She was at her heart, a thoughtful and caring mother to her daughters Melinda and Christy, and a proud grandmother to twins Ayman and Giselle. She will forever be in the hearts of those individuals whose lives she touched and will be remembered with abiding love and deep affection by all who knew her.

She was predeceased by her parents, Monette Carson Ligon, James Thomas Ligon and husband John W. Shipman and leaves behind daughters Melinda Barnes of New York, Christy Barnes of North Carolina; grandchildren Ayman Everett and Giselle Safiah Idrissi of North Carolina; sisters Linda Ligon and Sharon Moore of Texas, brother James Ligon and his wife Phyllis of California; nephews Trey Ligon, Jay Moore, Jean Paul Ligon and niece, Martha Jackson. 

Yvonne’s daughters would also like to acknowledge the compassionate nurses and staff at Presbyterian Village and Faith Presbyterian Hospice in Dallas, and are most grateful for the loving care and kindness shown to their mother during her time there.

To commemorate her life and the memories we cherish there will be a Visitation for family and friends on Saturday, January 18 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm with a Celebration of Life to follow on Monday, January 20 at 12 pm, both at Wade Funeral Home in Arlington, Texas. A private family burial will be held at Moore Memorial Gardens in Arlington, Texas.