Shirlee Ann Langone (Tillapaugh), 84, daughter of the late Ila and Robert Tillapaugh, peacefully passed away in her home on May 12, 2020. Born on July 14, 1935, Shirlee grew up on her family’s farm in Norwich, NY, where she enjoyed riding horses and fishing. While attending Norwich High School, she participated in many extracurriculars such as basketball, badminton, and the apparatus club. She was most remembered as the drum majorette in the marching band. She was also a long-time member of the 4H Club.
Thereafter, she attended the State University of New York Teachers College at Oneonta where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. Shirlee also completed studies at Utica College and SUNY College of Technology at Utica/Rome in reading and elementary education. She started her career at Homer High School teaching home economics. After having children, she taught home economics and remedial reading at a number of local schools, including Brookfield Central School and Otselic Valley Central School. Shirlee had a strong work-ethic; she was an advocate of education, always supporting her children and her grandchildren in their scholarly, athletic, and career endeavors. Politically active, Shirlee enjoyed listening to NPR on the radio and engaging in political debate. She was always aware of current events and advocated for those in need.
Shirlee met her husband, the late Louis C. Langone, while teaching at Homer High School in 1957. Their marriage spanned almost six decades. She loved to travel to different places around the country with her husband, Lou, and always wanted to chat with locals of the areas they visited. In addition, Shirlee loved to garden, enjoying a beautiful crop of primroses, hollyhocks, lilacs, poppies, and hostas each spring and summer in her various flowerbeds. The birds and chipmunks that came to the feeder outside her kitchen gave her great enjoyment throughout the years.
When not out in her gardens, or feeding and watching the birds, she could be found reading a novel or the Sunday comics, taking pictures, scoping out recipes in one of her numerous magazines, or watching a mystery on TV. To add to her garden, one summer Shirlee enjoyed raising Monarch butterflies with her family as they monitored a hatch-and-release. Shirlee deeply cared for her family; she was a dedicated and loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who will be treasured for her lively spirit, love-of-stories, and tongue-and-cheek sense of humor.
Wife of the late Louis C. Langone, daughter of the late Ila and Robert Tillapaugh and sister of the late Richard Tillapaugh, she is survived by three children and their spouses, Robert “Roc” and Crystal Langone, of Waterville, NY, Nannette and Allen Cowen, of Waterville, NY, and Christopher and Jennifer Langone, of Arnold, MD; seven grandchildren, Ryan and Heather Langone, of Rome, NY (Jonathyn and Daniel), Mary and Michael Lopez, of Waterville, NY (Mila and Benny), Richard Langone, of Waterville, NY, Trisha Cowen and Hayley Button, of New Wilmington, PA (Ella and Mara), Kate and Wade Worwa (Sawyer), of Waterville, NY, Brianna and Joseph Heider (Freya), of Cicero, NY, and Piper Langone, of Arnold, MD; niece Paula and Rick Evans; cousins Roberta and the late Roger Ehlert, Lawrence and Anne Tucker, Irene and Jerry Lawton; and two cats, Sugar and Spice.
Thank you to Dr. David Petrie, Debbie Jones, Amanda Turck, Kara Roberts, Wendy Eastman, and Carol Farber of the Waterville MVHS office; Lily, Edna, and Frieda Stoltzfus; Patty Geglia; and the many caregivers who provided both support and friendship. Due to the current health restrictions, a private funeral has been arranged. A celebration of life will be held in the summer. Arrangements have been entrusted to Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Homes, Inc., Waterville. Please consider donations in Shirlee’s memory to the Stevens-Swan Humane Society. www.burgessandtedescofuneralhomes.com