Obituary for Shirley Kathleen Mason-Simmons
Shirley Kathleen Mason-Simmons, 93, passed away peacefully at Beth Shalom Village on June 8, 2020.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Simmons; two sons, Charles and Michael Mason; and her brother Rudolph King.
Shirley was born on July 27, 1926 to Kathleen and Rufus King in New York City. Shirley began her career at Metropolitan Life Insurance after graduating from high school. After marrying and welcoming her two sons Charles and Michael, Shirley started babysitting for nearly all of the children in her beloved Bronx neighborhood called the “Valley.” She eventually returned to work as a Social Services Administrative Assistant for the City of New York and remained until she retired. Shirley went on to babysit for a new generation of children.
Shirley married Eugene Simmons, and finally retired for good. Shirley and Eugene left New York City when they moved to Virginia Beach in 1998.
Shirley was fun loving, witty and loved to host spontaneous social gatherings. She loved to play poker and spades, and travel, especially to casinos. Shirley made a delicious pineapple upside down cake and exceptional codfish fritters. Shirley was always glamorous and could be counted on to share an honest opinion.
Shirley is survived by her granddaughters, Katisha and Abra, and their husbands, Roy and Erwin; six great-grandchildren, Keyanni, Kalynn, Royce, Makiyah, Franklin, and Cora; two stepdaughters, Sheila and Sharon; a niece, Yvette; a host of cousins; and dear friends. Family, friends, and others are invited to celebrate Shirley’s life on June 17, 2020 at Graves Funeral Home in Norfolk, Virginia located at 1631 Church St, Norfolk, VA.
(In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association or American Heart Associaton.)
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Simmons; two sons, Charles and Michael Mason; and her brother Rudolph King.
Shirley was born on July 27, 1926 to Kathleen and Rufus King in New York City. Shirley began her career at Metropolitan Life Insurance after graduating from high school. After marrying and welcoming her two sons Charles and Michael, Shirley started babysitting for nearly all of the children in her beloved Bronx neighborhood called the “Valley.” She eventually returned to work as a Social Services Administrative Assistant for the City of New York and remained until she retired. Shirley went on to babysit for a new generation of children.
Shirley married Eugene Simmons, and finally retired for good. Shirley and Eugene left New York City when they moved to Virginia Beach in 1998.
Shirley was fun loving, witty and loved to host spontaneous social gatherings. She loved to play poker and spades, and travel, especially to casinos. Shirley made a delicious pineapple upside down cake and exceptional codfish fritters. Shirley was always glamorous and could be counted on to share an honest opinion.
Shirley is survived by her granddaughters, Katisha and Abra, and their husbands, Roy and Erwin; six great-grandchildren, Keyanni, Kalynn, Royce, Makiyah, Franklin, and Cora; two stepdaughters, Sheila and Sharon; a niece, Yvette; a host of cousins; and dear friends. Family, friends, and others are invited to celebrate Shirley’s life on June 17, 2020 at Graves Funeral Home in Norfolk, Virginia located at 1631 Church St, Norfolk, VA.
(In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association or American Heart Associaton.)