Shirley A. Spillane

Shirley (Sawyer) Spillane, 90, of Nahant MA, peacefully passed away on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.
Shirley was raised by her mother, Ora (LaPointe) Sawyer along with her five siblings Donald, Lorraine, Ray, Barbara and Janet on Commercial Street in the Brickyard area of Lynn, a neighborhood Shirley was always so proud of. They had little but they loved each other and remained close all of their lives.
It was on Commercial Street that Shirley became lifelong best friends with Gail (O'Sullivan) Gaffey and met and married her husband, Robert Spillane. After losing him to cancer, Shirley became a young widow with four daughters and one more on the way. She raised her girls single-handedly. They said grace and had dinner together every night and went to church every Sunday. You could always find Shirley waltzing with her girls in the kitchen to her favorite songs, especially The Carpenters.
A family of all girls, they were avid sports fans watching all Boston sports, especially the Patriots. Shirley was an enthusiastic golfer, competitive bowler and enjoyed playing cribbage with longtime friend, Yvon.
Shirley celebrated her Christian faith and was a devout Catholic.
Along with her parents, Shirley is pre-deceased by her beloved husband, Robert Spillane.
Shirley will be dearly missed and is survived by her five daughters, Cynthia Blaisdell and her husband William of Gardner, MA, Colleen Munnelly and her husband Daniel of Nahant, Cheryl Delisle and her husband Richard of Nahant, Carol Hayes and her husband, Michael of Nahant, and Christin Morse and her late husband Robert, of Nahant. Her grandchildren were the light of her life: William Blaisdell and his wife, Vikkie, Brooke Blaisdell and her fiancé, Travis, Wes Newbury and his wife Kate, Ian Munnelly, Caroline Munnelly, Ryan Delisle, Robby Delisle, Rachel Delisle, Will Hayes and Michelle Hayes, Abbey and Sam Morse as well as her three great grandchildren, Adelaide, Elowen, and Austin.
The family would like to express its gratitude to the caring and compassionate staff at Jesmond Nursing Home, especially Patty Toomajian.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend visiting hours on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 from 10:00am to 11:00am at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 249 Nahant Rd, Nahant. A funeral Mass will directly follow at 11:00am at St. Thomas. A private burial will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Shirley's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.