SHIRLEY ROSS
OXFORD – Shirley J. Ross, 80, of Whitesboro, passed away peacefully at her daughter’s home in Oxford, on Sunday morning Aug. 26, 2007, after a courageous battle with a rare form of Lymphoma. Her daughter Rebecca was at her side at the time of her passing.
She was born on Jan. 23, 1927 in Whitesboro, a daughter of the late Howard and Grace (Mullen) Keyes. She was a graduate of Whitesboro Central Schools. She once served in the United States Army Reserves from 1950 to 1953.
In 1959 in Utica, she married James Ross, Mr. Ross died in 1965. She was employed for many years with Marcy Psychiatric Center and Mele Manufacturing retiring in 1980. She was a member of St. Paul’s Church in Whitesboro.
Shirley loved reading, and enjoyed spending much of her free time at the Dunham Public Library in Whitesboro. She also loved astrology, and was an avid New York Yankees baseball fan.
She is survived by her loving daughter Rebecca Franco and her husband Gerard of Oxford; her two grandchildren Ashley Franco of Rochester, and SSgt. Andrew Houghtaling and his wife Kim of Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.; also a great grandson Tyler Houghtaling; and a beloved companion Vito J. Montecalvo of Whitesboro; also her nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Howard Keyes Jr.
The family wishes to sincerely thank the staff of the Louis Busch Hager Cancer Treatment Center in Cooperstown, especially Dr. Eric Braven, and Dr. Daniel Cuzzo for the wonderful care, complemented by true compassion that was given to Shirley during her illness. The family also wishes to thank Shirley’s neighbors Warren Mason, Tom Warzala, and Richard Campion for the many acts of kindness that they bestowed upon Shirley, your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Friday from the Dimbleby, Friedel, Williams & Edmunds Funeral Home, 40 Main St., Whitesboro, and at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in New York Mills, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Interment with military honors will be in Fairview Cemetery in New Berlin.
Family and friends are invited to call on Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers please consider the Louis Busch Hager Cancer Treatment Center 1 Atwell Rd. Cooperstown, NY 13326 or Dunham Public Library 78 Main St. Whitesboro, NY 13492. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. For online expressions of sympathy, visit www.dimblebyfriedelfuneralhomes.com.