HOULTON – Shirley Elizabeth (Gray) Holmes, 87, passed peacefully July 2, 2010, with her family and friends at her side. She was born June 16, 1923, in Pembroke, New Brunswick, to Merrill H. Gray and Gertrude (Sewell) Gray. She graduated from Houlton High School in 1941 and attended Ricker College for one semester. She had to quit school to help take care of her siblings after her mother died. Because she never got to finish college, she became an impassioned advocate for higher education. Many Houlton residents will remember Shirley as a caring and gracious nurse. She worked many years at Aroostook and Houlton Regional hospitals. Her heart was simply and purely filled with love and kindness for those in need, for the sick and for the suffering. She was a great nurse. Shirley also had a wicked sense of humor, a sharp wit and a vocabulary to envy. She could beat anyone at Scrabble, crossword puzzles and word jumbles. She was even known to have co-written the words to the class song for the Class of 1967. She loved poetry and music. She played the violin in her younger days even though she had to practice in the barn, and loved to sing hymns. She especially loved her church. The way she lived her life was a testament to her faith. She was always kind, always generous, always willing to sacrifice for others. Her family is also grateful for the care and kindness her friends in Christ have shown in later years when she needed a helping hand. They were always there for her and so generous with their time. It will not be forgotten. Shirley was predeceased by her husband, Glenn Allen Holmes Sr., in 1985. She is survived by four children, Glen Jr. and Janice Peabody of Houlton, David and Anna of Petersburg, Alaska, Joan Holmes and Shakeel Mozaffar of Lincolnville and Priscilla and Mark Stover of Bangor; five sisters and one brother, Phyllis and Norman Hubert of Littleton, Audrey and Vernon Preisendorf of Denver, Carl and MaryLou Gray of Phoenix, Joyce Cumming of Phoenix, JoAnne and Fred Murphy of Rockland and Mary Elizabeth Dobbins and Tom Bowen of Mattawamkeag. Shirley has been blessed with nine wonderful grandchildren, Carl, Marney, Kari, Guy, Glen, Cathie Jo, Oakley, Sarah and Gretchen; also seven equally wonderful great-grandchildren, Emelia, Nicholas, Josephine, Leif, Taya, Gus and Oliver. Friends and family may call 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, at Bowers Funeral Home, 10 Water St., Houlton, where funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 7. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery. A time of fellowship will be held after interment at Bowers Funeral Home.
SHIRLEY ELIZABETH (GRAY) HOLMES
