Shirley (Bidosky) Delmonico

 Written by Shirley's friend...

Indeed, May 17, 2020 is a sad day for all who knew and loved Shirley. The pain and sadness we all feel is hard to describe. We cannot begin to comprehend the extreme loss Shirley’s family are experiencing now.

Shirley’s passing has fallen heavily on the hearts of all who loved her. Her family and friends have abandoned themselves into an overwhelming state of grief, but I write this tribute to Shirley to honor a great woman named Shirley and to offer my comfort the best I can to Shirley’s Family.

Shirley was an extraordinary woman in so many ways. She was a warm person who loved working with special needs children. She had a special knack of being able to bond in a loving manner with the children she worked with. She was a brilliant accountant, she loved being part of the families and friends lives and activities. She loved her family and they loved her. She was a faithful committed wife and a warm loving mother. She enjoyed shopping, travel, concerts, cruises and Virginia Beach. She has led friends and family into a kinder, loving, more compassionate world.

She was esteemed and loved by all who knew her. The kindliness and tenderness of her heart was seen and felt by all who came within the charmed circle of her intimacy.

What is it we remember when we think of Shirley? I think everyone who knows her well would agree with me on this- it was her warm heart, her desire to do nice things for others, her air of dignity, her joy of being around people and her generosity.

She donated many of her sick leave hours at work to employees who ran out of paid sick leave as they were recuperating from surgery or illness. She was generous with her time too, always there helping those in need. Her grandmother always said, “Shirley you’d give away your asshole and shit out your ribs”, meaning she was so generous to her own detriment.

I have such fond memories of Shirley. In high school she was one of the most beautiful girls in the school, she had a bubbly, upbeat personality and was just beautiful inside and out. She had a magnetic personality, was popular and had many friends. That’s how I remember Shirley in High School.

She has left a void that no one can fill- laid forever at rest. Every time Pete sees the bright sun beaming down or a bright star in the sky, I’m sure he will think of Shirley. She was his sunshine and his bright shining star. She did everything humanly possible to lighten Pete’s workload so he could focus on his job. She absolutely adored Pete and did everything for Pete with love.

It’s all over, the last struggle is past, the strife, the anxiety, the pain, the turmoil of life is over. Henceforth, her great life marked at every step will be remembered with fondness and love forever.

She will truly be missed by all her friends. She has left behind numerous memories that will never be forgotten. When someone you love becomes a memory they leave behind a treasure. Shirley has left many wonderful treasured memories for her family and for all who knew and loved her.

This is our time to celebrate her life. So, this is the moment we should all be thankful that we were given a chance to have known a wonderful woman named Shirley. She meant something to each and every one of you. And this is the time to cherish those memories that we each have of Shirley.

Shirley’s life was filled with joy, hope, enthusiasm, courage and love. Her journey was a great one full packed with fun and adventure and surrounded by a loving husband and son and other family members and friends.

With Shirley’s passing she lives on. She lives on in each of you with her warm, loving spirit. The power of God has allowed Shirley to resurrect her spirit within each of you. She has given you restoration and hope to move forward.

You need to make your lives purposeful and infuse Shirley’s spirit in others. You need to tap into Shirley’s pure gold and inoculate others with her warm, loving spirit to give strength to others in need, so they can lead an abundance of life as Shirley did. In Shirley’s legacy you must bring hope, joy and peace to others.

Pete there is a special spot in heaven for you. There is a saying that says “how we handle our tough times stays with us for a long time”. You have handled your tough time with grace, dignity, sacrifice, commitment, and put your needs on the backburner to be by Shirley’s side every single day, taking care of her medical care needs, offering comfort, love, support and entertainment to keep her spirits up. Rain, snow, sleet you were there twice a day advocating for her in every way you knew how to do. You have done everything humanly possible to care for Shirley. You were the best husband any person could hope to have. You have been an extraordinary inspiration to all of us Pete.

And Pete Jr., you have to take comfort in knowing you were the best son Shirley could have had. You lifted her spirits and filled her heart with joy. You provided her with laughter, joy and fun. She loved you more than you will ever realize.

I’d like to share a poem. It reads like this:
Life is but a stopping place, a pause in what’s to be. A resting place along the road, to sweet eternity. We all have different journeys, different paths along the way, we were all meant to learn some things, but never meant to stay. Our destination is a place, far greater than we know. For some the journey’s quicker, for some the journey’s slow. And when the journey finally ends, we’ll claim a great reward, and find an everlasting peace, together with the Lord.

I pray for comfort, peace, encouragement for Pete, Pete Jr., Eve and Joe to mend them and restore them so they can move on to where they need to be. I pray that God will carry you all thru this difficult time.

Dear Lord, Shirley is at your side and in your hands now, please take good care of her. Please take her hand to greet her parents, now in heaven. And please help Shirley’s family find the courage, strength and self-confidence to cope with this extraordinary loss.

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