November 26 1929 April 20 2020
Obituary Shirley S. D’Stefan, a resident of Florham Park for over 65 years, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2020 at the Morristown Sub Acute Care facility due to complications of the Covid-19 virus. Her husband of 65 years passed away on April 13, 2020 from the same cause. Shirley was born in Kearny, New Jersey on November 26, 1929, the only child of Charles and Eileen Sappet. Shirley’s mother’s family can be traced back to the 1700’s to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia. She attended Kearny High School and Upsala College. She worked at an early age at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ where she met her future husband and lifelong companion Dominick, or as she called him, Don. After settling in Florham Park and raising her daughter, Donna, she became a school bus driver for the Florham Park Board of Education for many years. As such, many of the grammar and middle school students got to know her personally over the years, and she was a reliable and familiar sight to the students. She could tell you where each one lived, what their likes were and something about their personalities. Many of her students are both business people and residents of the Florham Park area to this day. Upon her retirement, Shirley took a very active interest in gardening, birdwatching and bird feeding, and also feeding the many deer which roamed through her yard. One of her favorite trips was going to Agway on senior citizens Tuesday and getting 50 or 100 pounds of various bird seeds and treats to feed her feathered friends. She could identify various species of birds and was a copious reader of books concerning birds and other wildlife. She also had a fondness for cats and dogs. Shirley loved to sew and bake pies, which were delicious. Shirley also loved to travel. She travelled to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Prince Edward Island area from which her ancestors came. She was a member of the Grace Episcopal Church in Madison, New Jersey for 65 years together with her husband Don. They were very active in the church and were engaged in many activities over their lifetime as parishioners. Shirley and Don were together for over 65 years. When Shirley was taken from her home to the hospital, she went together with her husband Don who was also ill. When she was moved from the hospital to the sub-Acute care facility, she went with her husband Don – together. And when she was in the sub-acute facility, she and her husband were in the same room next to each other – together. And when her husband Don died a week before her, she passed away one week later … and now they are in God’s loving arms forever – together She was predeceased by her husband Dominick a week ago, as well as her parents Charles and Eileen Sappet. She is survived by her daughter Donna Haag of Tennessee and her husband Dennis Haag. A memorial service will be announced by the family at a later date to be conducted by The Reverend Susan R. Ironside of Grace Episcopal Church, Madison, NJ. Cremation will be private and arranged through the Rowe Funeral Home, Morristown, NJ. Donations in her memory may be made to Grace Episcopal Church, 4 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940. Even during times of social distancing, anyone who has suffered a loss deserves love and support more than ever before. Let the family know you care by leaving treasured memories, thoughts and prayers in our Online Guestbook. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Shirley S. D’Stefan, please visit our Tribute Store. Events Services will be set for a future date to be determined. You can still show your support by planting a tree in memory of Shirley S. D’Stefan. Visit the Tribute Store Memorial Contributions Grace Episcopal Church, 4 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Shirley S D’Stefan November 26 1929 April 20 2020.
Death notice for the town of: Morristown, state: New Jersey