Obituary of Shirley Ann Maclean

Shirley Ann Maclean was born in Watford, England in 1951 and spent her childhood years in Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, a suburban town near London, England that is located in Hertfordshire County.   After attending the Rickmansworth Grammar School, Shirley attended college and earned a Bachelor of Sociology Degree in 1972 with Honours from the University of London.  Shirley met her future husband, Warren Schumacher, in 1972 when he was Architecture Student at Syracuse University and was studying abroad for a year at the Architectural Association in London, England.  After graduating from college, Shirley traveled to London, Ontario where she worked as a governess for two years.   Shirley and Warren were married in 1976, and they were very fortunate to have two sons, Tim and Nick, who she loved, cherished and adored.   Shirley and Warren raised their family in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, where they filled their house with art and antiques that they enjoyed collecting together, and where Shirley transformed their property by introducing native plants and a colorful variety of perennial flowers and shrubs to create her version of an English garden as well as an Upland Woodland Garden.   Besides being a nature lover and Master Gardener, Shirley was very interested in politics and social justice, and she had to start every day by reading the New York Times.  Having grown up with the BBC in England, Shirley became a dedicated listener and donor to Public Radio/WNYC and to Public TV.   Shirley is survived by her husband and two sons, along with her brother and two sisters, who will miss her lovely soul with all of their hearts.   Shirley’s life was all about Love, and her favorite Lennon-McCartney line says it all: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”.

A Memorial Service will be held for Shirley at the Beacon Unitarian Universalist Church in Summit, NJ on this coming Saturday, Dec 21st at 2 PM. The Unitarian Church is located at 4 Waldron Avenue, on the corner with Springfield Avenue, in Summit.

In lieu of sending flowers, please make a donation to one of the following organizations in memory of Shirley Ann Maclean.

·         The Audubon Society

·         The Nature Conservancy

·         Planned Parenthood

·         Doctors Without Borders