Shirley A. Servello

1935 - 2024

Shirley A. Servello
February 25, 2024
Shirley A. Servello, 88, of East Syracuse, passed away peacefully Sunday, February 25, 2024.
Born in East Syracuse on May 14, 1935, she was the daughter of Edward M. and Genevieve N. Scanlon. She was a graduate of East Syracuse High School. Shirley married her high school sweetheart, Fred, in 1954 and was a devoted wife for 62 years until his passing in 2018. She worked in the business office at J. C. Penney's in New Hartford for more than 20 years.
Shirley's life was centered around her family. She was a devoted mother to 6 children born over 10 years, the first when 21 years old. With a husband often working long hours to support the family, Shirley somehow managed to get children to scout meetings, band and sports practices and performances, swimming lessons, first jobs, and church, to name just a few. She also volunteered as a Girl Scout leader when the need arose. And family camping trips, water skiing, and picnics were in the mix. She was a great cook, and the family notably looked forward to an impressive stack of home-made breads on Tuesday of every week for many years. From today's perspective her efforts were remarkable and provided a great start to those young lives.
With the kids out of the nest, Fred and Shirley moved to their new A-frame house on the shore of Oneida Lake in the 1980's. There, Shirley enjoyed a new found peace and quiet – watching sailboats on the lake and the comings and goings of geese and ducks, sitting on the porch talking with a neighbor, quiet boat rides, enjoying her flower plantings, and working on large jigsaw puzzles in winter. And the lake was a wonderful place for family gatherings especially with the many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who gave her great joy. Her beloved Labrador retriever, Ginger, was her constant companion for 11 of those years.
Shirley played the flute in the band and sang with the glee club in high school and enjoyed watching song and dance. Late in life when she was stricken with a slow progression of dementia, music provided a wonderful relief to the stresses of this disease.
She was predeceased by her husband, Frederick A. Servello; mother and father; sister, Barbara Joslin; and brother, James Scanlon. Surviving are son, Frederick (Gayle) Servello Jr.; daughters, Paula Budd, Kathy (Jack) Hefter, Roxanne (John) Garrett, Louann Jenkins, and Suzanne (Teddy) Talbert; grandchildren, Travis, Matthew, Jennifer, Tamara, Rachel, Riley, Samuel, Rene' and My'a; great-grandchildren, Jenavieve, Camy, Tyra, Aiden, Luke, Charlotte, and Stella; and many nieces and nephews.
The Servello family offers a special thanks to the dedicated memory-care staff of the Iroquois Nursing Home for their caring manner in all that they did for our mother and grandmother.
Calling hours will be Saturday, March 9 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am at R.H. Schepp & Son Minoa Chapel, 6530 Schepps Corners Rd, Minoa. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:30 am at St. Matthews Church, 229 W. Yates St., East Syracuse. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Minoa.
For guest book, please visit:
www.SCHEPPFAMILY.com