Obituaries

Shirley was born in 1940 into a world of chaos — the Second World War in Halifax, and to a household where every free space billeted a member of the naval forces. She was the queen of the house and much loved.

At some point in the late 40’s she contracted polio and spent many months in the polio hospital in Dartmouth. When discharged to join the world again she was, fortunately, physically unscathed from the disease that had kept her isolated for weeks.

Very musical, Shirley sang in choirs, played the piano, and tap danced her way through childhood.

She graduated from QEH and went on to study bookkeeping and secretarial science. She had many careers from pizza shop owner (Mama Mia’s in Fairview) to vacuum cleaner salesman to bank data processor.

Married and divorced three times (Rhys, Sonny and Ron) and all before she turned 35, she chose in the final years of her life to shower her affection on Jewell, her dog and constant companion.

Her greatest life trauma was the loss of her only child, Darryl, in 2005 from which she never full recovered. Darryl was just 44 years of age.

Following Darryl’s death she concentrated her mind on artistic endeavours — mainly rug hooking. She created many pieces throughout those years — designing the rugs, dying the wools and finally doing the hooking. Sadly, a great number of her rugs were lost in the last few unsettled years of her life.

Shirley has been cremated and will be buried in Fairview Cemetery alongside her parents and son Darryl in a private family service.