Shirley M. Judge

Shirley M. Judge, formerly of Swoyersville, passed away Thursday, Nov. 8, at Celtic Hospice in Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre.

Shirley was born on April 23, 1931, to Cyril Grier and Madeline (Dolan) Grier of the Green Ridge section of Scranton.

A graduate of Marywood Seminary class of 1949, she held the degree of business management with a specialization in secondary education from Marywood College, having graduated in 1954, and serving as secretary to school President Sister Eugenia Kealy, I.H.M., during her time there. She began her teaching career at North Pocono High School until moving to Hamilton Square, N.J., in 1960. In 1964, having returned from New Jersey to live in Swoyersville, she taught scholastic reading at the Holy Trinity School in Swoyersville. Then after receiving her master's degree in early childhood education from Marywood College, she began to teach for the Wyoming Valley West School District at the Owen Street School. Before her retirement in 1993, Shirley taught kindergarten at the Dana Street Elementary School in Forty Fort.

She married the late Myles F. Judge on Aug. 20, 1955.

Active in retirement, she served as president of the Luzerne County PSEA-R as well as active in many other civic groups such as the Woman's Guild, etc.

Shirley also spent her retirement vacationing in Ocean City, Md., with her beloved family. A loving mother and grandmother all her life, her time was their time.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Myles F. Judge, in 1995; her sister, Ann Schirra, in 2011; her father, Cyril Grier, in 1978; and her mother, Madeline Grier, in 2002.

She is survived by her two children, Jerry Judge (Denise), of Allentown; and Dr. Mary Ellen Judge-Lewis (William), of Pittston; five grandchildren, William Lewis, of Wilkes-Barre; Thomas Lewis, of Pittston; Ann and Maddie Lewis, of Pittston; and Michael Judge, of Allentown; sister, Catherine Sunick (Thomas); and brother, James Grier, both of Scranton.

The family would like to thank her caretaker, Lindsay Krynak, for making the final months of Shirley's life active and joyful at Highland Park assisted living, which has the most caring staff around. Would also like to thank the nurses and staff of the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and Celtic Hospice for their compassion and esteem care in her final days.

The funeral will be Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 9:30 a.m. at the Corcoran Funeral Home Inc., 20 S. Main St., Plains, PA 18705, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 in St. Maria Goretti Church, 42 Redwood Drive, Laflin, PA 18702. The Parish Rosary Group will pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and rosary in the church at 9:30. All are invited to attend. Interment will be held in St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow.

Family and friends may call Monday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Macular Degeneration Disease Foundation by visiting www.macular.org/how-donate.

For additional information or to leave Shirley's family a message of condolence, please visit www.corcoranfuneralhome.com.