After a life filled with love, adventure, and service, Shirley Catherine Hurst Moore passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home at Edgewood Retirement Community’s Garden View at the Meadows on February 14th, 2024, in North Andover, MA, at the age of 88.

Born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1935, Shirley was a beacon of light in the lives of those she touched. She was a proud “Irish triplet” with her siblings John and Patricia, sharing an unbreakable bond. Her childhood was deeply rooted in the Gloucester fishing community. Her father was a maritime engineer, and all her uncles were fishermen, two of whom died at sea. She acquired her love for nature and gardening from her father. 

Shirley is predeceased by her parents, Mary Cavanaugh Hurst and John William Hurst, as well as all of her siblings, Mary Muise, John (“Carl”) Hurst, Patricia Johnson, James Hurst, and Judith Corcoran. Shirley was also preceded in death by her devoted husband, John Trotwood (“Poppy”) Moore II, who died in 2020 at the age of 86.

Shirley’s thirst for knowledge earned her a full scholarship from the Gloucester community to study at Beth Israel Nursing School in Boston, where she broke family traditions by leaving Cape Anne and discovered her passion for psychiatric nursing. Shirley met her future husband while interning as a student nurse during the brief period when he worked as an orderly at Beth Israel Hospital. Following his return from the Korean War, they married in 1959. They made a home in Winchester, MA, and raised their three children there. This residence became a haven for their four grandsons until they retired to North Andover, MA. John and Shirley celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with friends and family in July 2019.

After obtaining her Master’s in Nursing from Boston University, she worked at the Castriotta Clinic in East Cambridge. She served as clinical faculty for Harvard Medical School at Cambridge City Hospital. After numerous years, Shirley launched a private practice specializing in psychotherapy and hypnotherapy, which she sustained until retirement. The call to serve others defined Shirley’s career, particularly those affected by trauma and mental health challenges. 

Shirley was an incredibly thoughtful and conscientious person. Her love for her family was paralleled only by her commitment to education, reproductive rights, and nature. From 1995 to 2015, before moving to Edgewood Retirement Community, she played an integral role in the lives of her grandsons, Philip and Brian Tausky, and Nicholas and Jacob Moore. She doted on these boys. The house in Winchester became a second home for Phil and Brian from their earliest years. Then, starting in 2004, Shirley made a daily trip to Andover for Nick and Jake. She ensured they not only caught their bus in the morning and were cared for during the day but also contributed as a beloved volunteer at their schools, dedicating her time and energy to the ELF (Environmental Learning for the Future) program. Through ELF, Shirley helped instill a sense of environmental responsibility and reverence, teaching her grandsons and their classmates about the importance of caring for the world around them. Her grandsons remember her as their cherished Meema and a role model who walked the talk of kindness, love, and environmental stewardship. 2003 marked a return to her roots when Shirley and John acquired a residence in Gloucester, Massachusetts, which wove them back into the coastal community of Shirley’s youth.

Shirley’s life was a testament to her courageous spirit and dedication to equality and diversity. She was a fervent advocate for social justice, embodying the principles of feminism and democracy in every aspect of her life. Alongside her beloved husband, John, she traveled the globe, always seeking authentic experiences and connections with local cultures. Her home was a haven of creativity, from her exquisite gardens to her culinary explorations and support of the arts. 

Shirley is survived by her loving family, including her daughter Jennifer Elizabeth Moore and her husband David Allen Ward; daughter Cecily Patricia Tausky and her husband Edward Tausky; son Aaron Hurst Moore and his children’s mother Nicole Moore; and her cherished grandsons Philip Aaron Tausky, Brian Kees Tausky, Nicholas David Moore, and Jacob Paul Moore. Shirley’s legacy of kindness, curiosity, and courage will live on through the many lives she touched.

A wake will take place on Friday February 16th from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Winchester Unitarian Society in Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations to Pathways for Children (www.pw4c.org) in honor of her lifelong commitment to education and human rights.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers, staff, and administrators at The Woodlands and The Meadows of the Edgewood Retirement Community for their unwavering support and care in Shirley’s final years.

Shirley Catherine Hurst Moore will be profoundly missed, yet forever remembered in the hearts of those who loved her.