Shirley (Pierce) Bostrom, 80, of Rocky Hill, passed away on Sunday, July 6th at St. Francis Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She was the beloved wife of Lawrence J. Bostrom, and formally resided in Windsor Locks, West Suffield, Windsor and Marlborough.
Shirley was born in the town of Elko, New York; she was the daughter of the late John L. Pierce and Ruth (Wilcox) Pierce. She was raised on the Allegheny Indian Reservation and in Jamestown and Ellery Center in western, NY. She graduated from Bemus Point High School, she received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary education at Bob Jones University in 1956, a Masters in Education from SUNY at Fredonia in 1959 and she continued to expand her education at the University of Connecticut. Shirley taught in Frewsburg, NY for 5 years and was a teacher in Windsor Locks, CT for 28 years where she taught 4th grade, special education and served as a system-wide coordinator for that department. When she retired in 1996 she was teaching 5th grade, teaching for a total of 32 years. In 1990 she was chosen as Teacher of the Year in Windsor Locks.
On July 2, 1960 she married her husband Lawrence and during their 54 years, they had three children. In 1965 they moved to Connecticut where Lawrence started working at Hamilton Standard Division of United Technologies and Shirley started teaching again in 1968.
Shirley was selected to be a Community Ambassador to Spain in 1959. She also received a fellowship at the Connecticut Writing Project.
Besides her husband, Shirley will be dearly missed by her two daughters; Kathy Bostrom of Middletown, and Ruth Terray and her husband Richard of Marlborough, two very special grandchildren; granddaughter Abigail Margaret Grover and her fiancée Brendan Wolf of Suffield, and grandson Jacob Pierce Grover of Marlborough, a brother David William Pierce of West Virginia, brother-in-law Roland Bostrom, many nieces and nephews, friends and special dog, Bogart.
She is predeceased by her daughter, Margaret Bostrom, two brothers; John (Jack) Pierce Jr., and Theodore (Ted) Lewis Pierce, and a very special aunt, Margaret Bodine.
Shirley was a NY Yankee fan, she enjoyed reading novels, writing, traveling, going to their trailer near the beach in Rhode Island, horseback riding, and being with her family and friends. She was an avid UConn Basketball fan, both women’s & men’s teams.
She belonged to Survivors of Homicide and Connecticut Writing Project writers group. She kept busy traveling, speaking, and writing, was a former Vice President of Survivors of Homicide, Inc. and Connecticut Alliance for Victims of violence and their families. She was also a member of NVCIA, National Victims of Violence in Action, Fight Crime-Invest In Kids. She served on the Board of Directors for CCADV and on the Advisory Board for CHIPS. After her daughter’s murder, she devoted much of her time and energy to domestic violence prevention and authored two books, “Funny He Doesn’t Look Like a Murderer, But Margie is Dead” and “Abby’s Dilemma”
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Shirley’s memory to: Survivors of Homicide, Inc., 530 Silas Deane Hwy, Suite 380, Wethersfield, CT 06109, 860-257-7388, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV), 912 Silas Deane Hwy, Lower Level, Wethersfield, CT 06109, 860-282-2899, or to Melanie Ilene Rieger Memorial Foundation, Attn: Dr. Samuel L. Rieger, PO Box 368, Watertown, CT 06795.
Friends are invited at attend a period of visitation on Wednesday, July 9th, 2014 from 3-6PM, followed immediately by a Memorial Service at 6pm, all to be held at the Glastonbury Funeral Home, 450 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, CT 06033. A gathering is to take place at the conclusion of services. Burial is private and at the convenience of the family. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.glastonburyfuneral.com
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