Obituary of Shirley B. Whitmarsh

EDWARDS- Shirley B. Whitmarsh, age 89, of Edwards, NY, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at her daughter's home under the care of her family and Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley. There will be calling hours for Shirley on Monday, March 13, 2023 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at French Funeral Home in Edwards. Her funeral service will immediately follow at 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home with Pastor John Frary officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Edwards. Condolences may be shared online at www.frenchfuneralhomes.com. Shirley was born on March 7, 1934 in Morristown, NY to the late Carl and Mildred (Burrell) Eggleson. She graduated from Morristown Central School and then went on to Business School in Syracuse. Shirley married Harold "Zip" J. Whitmarsh on October 13, 1956 at the Edwards United Methodist Church. Zip passed away on May 6, 1994. Shirley worked as a secretary for Robert E. Witt Engineering from 1964 until their merger with Sear Brown Associates and continued working for them until her retirement in 1997. She was a member of the Edwards Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and the Eastern Stars. Shirley enjoyed flower gardening, picking berries and making jam, playing bingo, reading books, vacationing anywhere that was warm and going gold mining in Arizona. Surviving are two sons and their wives, S. Michael and Deborah Whitmarsh and Harold "Chico" and Jenelle Whitmarsh Jr.; two daughters, Melissa Averill and Melinda Serrano; a brother, Gary and Phyllis Eggleson; two sisters, Anita and Gary Turner and Gail Spilman; 11 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Shirley is predeceased by her husband; a daughter, Maryann Tyler; a grandson, Omar Serrano; a brother, Douglas Eggleson and a sister, Arlene Teuscher. Donations may be made in Shirley's memory to the Ryan's Wish Foundation, P.O. Box 326, Gouverneur, NY 13642.