Sandra Millard, retired deputy University librarian and associate University librarian for public services and outreach, worked with Ms. Branden for more than 25 years, until she retired. “As head of Reference and Instructional Service Department, Shirley was always very passionate about and dedicated to about providing services to students, faculty and staff,” Millard said. “She led the department and staff during a challenging period of massive change and expansion of library information resources and services.  She never hesitated to champion and advocate for the staff and resources needed by her department and the library to meet those needs.  As a result,  the excellent library reference and instructional staff and services grew and continue to evolve to this day.”

Shelly McCoy, associate University librarian, said, “Shirley was a real supporter of me at the library and had advocated for me to become a department head, even though I had only worked at UD less than five years. When she retired, I was interim over her beloved Reference Department. Since her retirement, we would meet for lunch every so often and catch up on her travels and what she was missing at the library."

Born in Missouri, Ms. Branden earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and went on to earn three master of arts degrees in Spanish, library science and English. She began her career teaching Spanish before switching to library science. After working as a medical librarian in Nebraska, Texas, Tennessee and Florida, she came to Delaware in early 1986.

A longtime member of the American Library Association and a loyal supporter of the University of Delaware Theatre Program and Resident Ensemble Players (REP), Ms. Branden was also an avid traveler. She visited many countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Austria, Germany, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, India, Canada, Iceland, France, Italy, Kenya, Turkey, Morocco, Spain and Portugal. She also visited every state in the U.S. with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii and North Dakota. Her favorite cities were New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, London, Paris and Sydney.

Ms. Branden and her daughter, Jane, who is an academic program coordinator in UD’s Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, traveled all over the world together and made frequent trips to New York to shop, go to movies and attend the Metropolitan Opera.

A lifelong book enthusiast, Ms. Branden was keenly interested in the works of William Morris, Anthony Trollope and Percy Bysshe Shelley. A true animal lover, she had many cherished cats including Quito, named for the capital city of Ecuador. She also loved horses and even made a special trip to Kentucky where she met both Seattle Slew and Affirmed. She was a devoted Anglophile and Francophile and loved British comedies, particularly the works of Dame Penelope Keith.

Contributions in Ms. Branden’s memory may be made to Wildlife Warriors USA Inc., P.O. Box 11347, Eugene, OR 97440 or online; The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, P.O. Box 834, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 or online; or to The Resident Ensemble Players, University of Delaware,110 Orchard Rd., Newark, DE 19716 or online.

To read her obituary or leave condolences online, visit Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes.