Shirley Maisel Buchman was born in Mobile, Alabama, on November 21, 1935. She attended Leinkauf Elementary School and Murphy High School. She also attended Penn State University. On December 30, 1954, she married Paul Buchman at the Admiral Semmes Hotel in Mobile. Paul and Shirley own and operate a Real Estate and property rental business in Mobile, Alabama, having done so since the mid-1950's.