Shirley T. McGowan

McGowan, Shirley T. With profound sadness we announce the death of our beloved mother, Shirley T. McGowan, on December 14, 2009. Shirley died at St. Francis Hospital due to complications of heart disease. She was the wife of Francis W. McGowan for 39 years until his death December 25, 1992. She was born July 3, 1924 in New Haven, CT., the second child of Wilfred H. Tiernan and Edna DeForest Tiernan. Upon the untimely death of her mother in February, 1926, she and her older sister were relocated to Avon, CT., where she was raised by her maternal grandparents and then her aunt and uncle. In 1936 she moved to West Hartford and became a permanent resident. She was a graduate of Wm. H. Hall High School, Class of '42. She worked in various insurance companies until she and her husband started a family in1954. She was a communicant of St. Mark the Evangelist Church in West Hartford for over 50 years. Upon her return to the work force she eventually retired from the Travelers Insurance Company, working in their Club Store. In her retirement years she was a member of the St. Mark Mission Circle, AARP, and the Salvation Army Women's Aux. In addition to her parents and husband she was predeceased by a brother, Robert D. Tiernan and her step mother Esther Tiernan. She leaves to mourn her passing her four sons and their wives, Robert and Judith of West Hartford, Stephen and Kara of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Thomas and Mary of Pelham, NY., and Brian and Mary Kate of Downingtown, PA. She adored her grandchildren, Genna, Tessa, Garrett, Kate, Eily, Nora, Rose, Gavin, Max, Sean, Maura and Will. Her beloved sister Winifred Shaughnessy of Albany, NY, two sisters-in-law, Stephanie Tiernan of Cheshire, CT and Dorothy Winer in Florida, a special aunt, Isabel Garing in Florida, several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, plus a host of longtime friends also survive her. West Hartford was a kinder, gentler place with Shirley in it. Her absence will be duly noted and her presence sorely missed. Her Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 10:00 A.M., Monday, December 28, 2009 at St. Mark the Evangelist Church, 467 S. Quaker Lane, West Hartford. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. Friends may call at the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave. West Hartford on Sunday December 27, 2009 from 1-4. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Commonground.org. at Agency.Com for Common Ground, 505 8th Ave. New York, NY 10018.

Shirley T. McGowan

July 3, 1924 - December 14, 2009