Shirley Esther Blake

Shirley Esther Blake (nee Currier), 92, a long-time resident of Broomall, passed away peacefully on August 9th, 2024 at Riddle Village.

Born in Newport, VT, she was the oldest of four children born to Reginald Leo and Flora Elizabeth Currier. Shirley spoke only French until age 5, which likely explains her unabashed lifelong love of French Standard poodles. Shirley was a graduate of Cathedral High School in Burlington, VT. and St. Michael’s College. After graduating nursing school, Shirley met her beloved husband, David Michael Blake, during a golf outing in 1953. They married on April 30, 1955 and celebrated 62 wonderful years of marriage before David’s passing in 2017.

Shortly after marriage, Shirley and David moved to England, where they resided for two years. This stint abroad sparked their decades-long love of travel that included visits to the Great Wall of China and hang gliding in Switzerland. Shirley and David ultimately settled in Broomall, where they raised their four children, Shannon, David, Sherri, and Sharlotte, and the first pair of poodles, Freddie and Fifi.

Shirley was an animal lover and indulged her children with several pets while they were young, including a bird, a stray cat that the children snuck inside, and an unknowingly pregnant guinea pig. She was also an avid gardener, and was happiest spending countless hours tending to her flowers and vegetables. She valued garden fresh food and healthy eating, which undoubtedly contributed to her vitality in her later years. Shirley was conscious of her eco-footprint on the planet, and may even have been the pioneer of shopping with reusable shopping bags, decades before it was mainstream. A peek into her kitchen drawers revealed tin foil scraps and ziplock bags eager to be reused. Her family members were the victims of many odd-ball hand me down gifts throughout the years, as well as a good old fashioned freezer-cleanout meal, usually including frozen guacamole with an expiration date two years prior.

As her children got older and college bound, Shirley went back to nursing at a local nursing home and in various schools as a school nurse. She also had an extensive interest in genealogy, performing the arduous work of tracing the family tree back several generations. In her golden years she spent her time doting on her last standard poodle, Raina, who is surely greeting her with a tennis ball in her mouth. Shirley was also an active member of the community, serving as a long time volunteer with Meals on Wheels, Marple Public Library and The Barnes Foundation. One of her most generous accomplishments was donating over 80 pints of blood over her lifetime to the American Red Cross.

As her final act of service, Shirley chose to donate her body to the medical schools in Philadelphia.

Shirley is survived by her children Shannon (Ken) Stober, David (Miriam) Blake, Sherri (Donald) Rice, and Sharlotte (Gregory) Blake, her eight grandchildren, six great grandchildren, as well as her sister, Marilyn Fitz (Currier) She is predeceased by her husband, David, and two brothers, Reginald and Dale. Shirley has been eager to reunite with David and her family knows she is at peace in his arms.

Contributions in Shirley’s memory can be sent to Meals on Wheels 301 Meetinghouse Lane Media PA 19063 .

There will be no service at this time. Burial will be private.