Shirley Kay Wolfe, 82, a resident of South Burlington, Vt., died on
August 25, 2023. She was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(CJD) on June 29 at the University of Vermont Medical Center. On July
11, she was relocated to Bridges by EPOCH assisted living memory care
facility at Nashua, N.H., to be near her daughter and family. She
passed away with her daughter by her side.
She was born on
February 3, 1941, in Chambersburg, Pa., the eldest daughter of Daniel
Eugene Wolfe and Mary (Betty) Suffecool Wolfe. Her maternal
grandparents, John Calvin and Ivy Suffecool, were very important in
her young years, especially her grandmother, Ivy Kate Scott
Suffecool.
She grew up in the
small town of Mercersburg, Pa., and, in 1959, graduated from James
Buchanan Junior-Senior High School. In 1963, she graduated from
Catawba College, Salisbury, N.C., with a BA in English and history.
While at Catawba, she was active in drama and received the 1961
Sidney Blackmer Onstage Award. In 1963, she was elected to Who’s
Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
She received a BS in business administration from Trinity College,
Burlington, Vt., in 1983, and an MSA in business administration from
Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, Vt., in 1998.
In June 1964, she
married William C. Knoff. They lived in Massachusetts, Ohio and New
York and moved to Vermont in 1975. They had a daughter, Tonya. They
later divorced. In January 1983, Shirley married Roy Neuer in the
First Unitarian Universalist Society in Burlington, Vt., and enjoyed
many lively years of friendship and love with him until his death on
December 27, 2021.
Shirley taught
junior high and high school English in Freehold, N.J.; Springfield,
Mass.; and West Toledo, Ohio. She was a substitute teacher and worked
in a junior high resource room in Rome, N.Y. After arriving in
Vermont, she worked as a substitute teacher in Burlington area
schools. Later, she worked at Timberlane Dental Group in several
office jobs. From 1985 to 1999, she worked with the Rural Education
Center on the Migrant Education Program federal grant in several
capacities, ending as assistant director. During that time, the Rural
Education Center became part of the University of Vermont. From 1999
to 2002, she worked as financial manager for the University of
Vermont Center for Health & Wellbeing. She retired from UVM in
September 2002.
Shirley is survived
by her daughter, Tonya Oesterle, and husband, Dwight, and their
children, Nathan and his wife, Gracie, (Gracelyn Hannabach) of
Westford, Mass., and Jessica of Milford, N.H. She is also survived by
her stepson, David Neuer, and his children, Asa, Beck and Emilia of
Pittsburgh, Pa.; her sister, Linda Dehart, and husband, Larry, of
Chambersburg, Pa.; and her brother, James Wolfe, and wife, Carol, of
Mercersburg, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by
her parents in 1994 and 1997; her husband, Roy Neuer, in 2021; and
her stepdaughter, Diane Neuer, in 1997.
Longtime friends
included Steve and Mary Silverman, Richard Aiken, Glenn and Annie
Moody, Peter Burrage and Susan Hartman, Frank Gibny and Diane Muhr,
all of the Burlington area; as well as Jim and Liv Seemann of Nev.,
Lynda Pound of Pa., and members of the Silver Spokes bike group.
Shirley was a member
of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, Vt., and
at various times was very active in church activities.
Shirley loved the
out of doors, sunshine and travel. She always said that she was very
privileged to be able to visit so many wonderful countries, including
parts of the U.S., and to meet wonderful people. She biked, walked
and hiked. She was especially proud to be part of the Silver Spokes
bicycle group of the Burlington area, which bikes in Vermont, New
York and Canada. From 2003 onward, Shirley and Roy enjoyed bicycle
trips and adventures in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Czech
Republic, Hungary, Denmark, Austria, Slovenia and Italy, as well as
in the United States and Canada. She also enjoyed photography,
reading, and flower gardening and was a “white knuckle” sailor.
Most importantly, she was a lifelong learner.
A special thanks to
the McClure 5 University of Vermont Medical Center and Bridges
assisted living for their care, love and support.
A memorial service
will be held in the spring of 2024 in Burlington, Vt. Memorial gifts
in lieu of flowers may be made to COTS and the Food Bank.
This article appears in Dec 13-19, 2023.
Shirley was a delightful person, and I am very sorry that she suffered from this horrible disease. I’ll miss her as will many who, like me, knew her through her leadership of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington.