Shirley A Desmarais

Shirley Desmarais passed away on November 22, 2023, after a short illness. Shirley was born in 1927 to Charles and Alfreda Cartier; she grew up in Chicopee and has been a resident of West Springfield for over 50 years. She worked in offices at Wico, Buxton, and Mercy Medical Center until her retirement. She was a long time communicant of St. Thomas Church. Twelve years ago, she lost her beloved husband Chuck Desmarais–they had 63 wonderful years together. She enjoyed playing her organ, which she began learning at age 65 and practiced faithfully. Her first love was spending time with family. Her second favorite thing was to attend a Ritchie Mitnick concert where she might see her dear friend Jessie Rivers. She always had a positive attitude about life. Until recently she stayed active by walking, enjoying the treadmill and gentle chair yoga at local senior centers. She was the last of five sisters, namely Lorrie, Connie, Eileen, and Elsie. She leaves her daughters Charlene Pope and husband Les of Feeding Hills, and Diane Campbell and husband Ray of West Springfield who became her devoted caregivers. She also leaves grandsons Nathan Johnson and Seth Campbell, along with Jason Pope, Sara Bileya (Osman) and many nieces and nephews. She was Great Grandma to Ava, Mia, Taha, Jake, Tino, Lena, Paul, and Aiden. The family would like to thank the staff at Mercy Adult Day Health, and Baystate Hospice for all their compassionate care. A Celebration of Life will be Thursday, November 30 1PM at the Toomey O’Brien Funeral Home, 1043 Westfield Street, West Springfield with calling hours 11am - 1pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association.