Shirley M. Belmore

Shirley M. Belmore, 81 of Marlborough, passed away peacefully at the Branches of Marlborough on Sunday, January 19, 2025 surrounded by her loving family.
Shirley was the daughter of the late Kosma and Helen (Anastas) Pitushe and the sister of the late Alexandra "Sandra" Lazour. She attended the Marlborough school system, where, in high school, she met, fell in love with, and married another life-long resident of the town, Joseph T. Belmore. They built a beautiful life together for 58 years until he passed away in April 2022. The strength of their relationship helped them endure the loss of their first-born son, Glen, whose short life ended in 1970.
Shirley is survived by her son, Craig J. Belmore and his wife Amy of Kingston, MA, her daughter, Erin H. Kelley and her husband Shawn of S. Grafton, and three grandchildren, Molly, Glen and Jason. While her Albanian family was small, she married into the large Belmore family that had five children. She opened her heart to Dick, Paul, Cathy, and Jack and when each started building their own family, she expanded her love (and her cooking) to include her in-laws Peg, Louis, and Mary as well as her 11 nieces and nephews and their children.
Shirley kept the traditions of her parents' homeland by speaking Albanian in their house on Neil Street and cooking traditional Albanian spinach pie, cookies (kolure), and baklava. Anyone who ate dinner or dessert that came from her kitchen discovered that her method of cooking by taste instead of by a written recipe led to a delicious meal that reflected her love.
She enjoyed nothing more than to go on a drive with Joe. Some of those trips were close to home, like their weekly trip to the Wildwood, Kennedy's, and a few other favorite restaurants around Marlborough. Other times, she'd love to go to the beach to just sit, read, and take in the sun. Together, she and her husband built memories by taking their family to the Audette's house near Nubble Lighthouse in York, ME. Shirley enjoyed spending the evenings playing UNO with Joe, Mary Lou, and Jean after a day in the brilliant sun on Long Sands Beach. After both were retired, they continued to chase the sun that Shirley loved so much by wintering in Florida and then summering by the ocean in Dennisport on the Cape where they could invite their family and friends to join them for time at the beach, for ice cream, for laughter, and for love. Their relationship worked because her strength complemented his energy.
Finally, Shirley is remembered by the people she drew into her life from many different generations. Those friends played with her as children, went to class with her at school, and were with her as she married. She reached out to people with her passion for socializing while going out to dinner, or connecting with her coworkers at St. Mary's Credit Union. While she retired from being a bank teller after more than 25 years in 2008, she has kept those she worked with in her heart. Shirley kept building friendships long after her retirement, including those she met when she moved into The Branches where she enjoyed the company of the amazing staff and the residents, especially the group who called themselves the "Golden Girls." She loved all of those people with the same unconditional fierceness as she did her own family.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 30, 2025 from 5-7 PM at the Short & Rowe Funeral Home, 95 W. Main St., Marlborough, MA. A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, January 31 at 11 AM also at the Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Beach St., Marlborough, MA.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Shirley M. (Pitushe) Belmore, please visit our floral store.