Nov. 3, 1934 – April 11, 2020
At 85 years old, Shirley passed away peacefully, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Born near London, England, to Lillian and Joe Warton, Shirley narrowly escaped being bombed during World War 11. She married John in 1957, and raised two boys, Peter and David. Having graduated from a Secretarial College, she spent many years, either volunteering in a Citizen’s Advice Bureau or working for a temporary agency, because she loved meeting and helping all kinds of people. A willing crew member, Shirley cruised and raced in small yachts, in the Clyde, and English Channel with many crossings to France, and in the Bay of Islands, in NZ.
The family moved to the USA in 1978 and lived in Stamford, CT, Kent Island, MD and Annapolis, MD, before settling at Lake Monticello in 1998. Shirley and John joined the Friendship Force of Charlottesville, and the Lake Monticello Sociables, and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, and Meals on Wheels. Inveterate travelers, Shirley and John visited Canada, the Arctic and Antarctic, East Africa, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Barbados, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon rainforest, New Zealand, Tahiti, Morea and Fiji, and well as many trips to England and Scotland to see friends and relatives.
Shirley was known for the twinkle in her eyes, the stories she told of life in England during the war, and her willingness to volunteer.
Shirley is survived by her husband, John, sons Peter and David and his wife, Margaret Ann and their great-niece, Jenna, sister Vivian, nieces Caroline and her husband, Richard and Shona and her husband, Mark, nephews Stuart and his wife, Helen, and Ian and his wife, Jenny and their families. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Christine Murphy and her husband, Ross and Jane Mann and their families. She was predeceased by her sister, Jocelyn Kerslake.
A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at Palmyra United Methodist Church in Palmyra, VA at a later date. Friends and family will be notified when that decision is made. (Please send your contact information to : mam634@centurylink.net, to ensure that you will be included in the notifications when the final arrangements are made for the service of celebration and/or to receive information on how to view the private live stream of the service for those wishing to attend but unable to do do.)
Memorial donations may be made to the youth camp scholarship fund at Palmyra United Methodist Church, 258 Palmyra Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963.