Shirley Anne Herd

Shirley Anne Herd passed away peacefully on Friday, February 21, with her three sons by her side. She was 92 years of age. 

She will be lovingly remembered by her sons John, Ken, and Jeff; her daughters-in-law Enid, Leslie, and Maura; her grandchildren Michelle, Alan, Muriel, Colin, Ian, Leah, and Gwen; and her great-grandchildren Jack, Matteo, Mabel, Jamie, Claire, and Nolan.

She will also be dearly missed by her friends at RiverWoods in Durham, NH where she resided joyfully for the past four years.

Shirley was born in Edmonton, Alberta in 1932. She later moved with her parents to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she met and married James Alan Herd. After the birth of their son John in 1957, the family moved to Wellesley, MA, where the twins Ken and Jeff were born in 1959. Shirley worked as a volunteer in the Education Department at the New England Aquarium in Boston, and she was a member of the Aquarium Associate Board of Directors. As part of her volunteer duties, Shirley was responsible for bringing a frisky river otter named Felix to visit the local schools. Her classroom visits with Felix brought joy and wonder to many, many children. Shirley was also active on the PTA and worked as a volunteer librarian at the Perrin School in Wellesley. 

Shirley had a lifelong love of animals and nature. She carefully observed the birds visiting her feeders, watched in awe as the bees and butterflies worked in her pollinator gardens, and she would always stop to share a joyous moment with pets passing by on their walks. 

Shirley always looked at the bright side of life, with compassion, love, and respect for all. Her pure spirit and warm heart were an inspiration to all who knew her. 

ARRANGEMENTS: A Celebration of Shirley’s Life will be held at a later date. Memorial Donations may be made in memory of Shirley to NH Audubon, https://nhaudubon.org/donate/make-a-donation/ 

The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff at RiverWoods in Durham, NH for their exceptional care and support of Shirley.

Assisting the family with arrangements is the Cremation Society of NH, Hampton.