Shirley E. (Ward) Dayton

Whitehall, N.Y. - Shirley Elaine Ward Moore Dayton passed away peacefully on June 2, 2022 at her home 1496, County Route 11, as the consequence of injuries sustained in a fall.      

She is survived by her children and their spouses: Nancy Moore of Whitehall, Jim and Paula Moore of Holland Patent, NY, and Tim Dayton and Angela Hubler of Bomoseen, Vermont; her grandchildren and their spouses: Ted and Andi Barkley of Valley Center, California, Jodi LaLone and Jamey Greenough of Queensbury, NY, Julie D’Aiuto of Rome, NY, Neil Hubler-Dayton of Eugene, Oregon, and Jack Hubler-Dayton of Manhattan, Kansas; and great-grandchildren Jett Barkley, Alyssa Townsend, Aubery D’Aiuto, Aiden LaLone, Bryce LaLone, and Emma Greenough; many nieces and nephews; and her sister-in-law Betty Dayton Stevens. In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her sisters Mary Ward Brooks and Louise Ward Nephew; her first husband, James “Buddy” Moore; and her second husband, Bill “Junior” Dayton.       

Shirley was born the daughter of Charlie Ward and Mary Ann Deuel on Howard Hill in Benson, Vermont on March 16, 1927. When she was five years old, the family moved to West Haven, Vermont, eventually settling in Ticonderoga, NY. Following the death of her mother in 1942 she was forced to drop out of school and went to work in a shoe factory. She met and married Buddy Moore of Whitehall in 1946, they had two children, and was widowed in 1958. She married Bill Dayton in 1959, by whom she had one child.    

In 1964 Shirley resumed her studies, earning her GED in June 1966, the same year her daughter graduated from high school. She worked at a variety of jobs, including twenty-plus years for the Whitehall Central School district, first as a cashier in the elementary school and then as a bus driver.  

Shirley loved her family above all else. She also loved animals and cared for a string of pets over the years, including most recently her darlings, Pretty Kitty and Sissy. She was a card player and played bingo throughout New York state and in several other states, including in Russell, Kansas, using corn kernels for chips. She was a tremendous cook, the highlight of which was her pies, especially rhubarb and blackberry. She loved country music, especially Eddy Arnold. In 2013 she was surprised to learn that she was the descendent of an indentured servant who sailed on the Mayflower. She was always on the side of the underdog, whether a homeless pet or a person down on their luck. Shirley was fiercely independent and remarkably stubborn.  

Calling hours will be from 1:00-2:00 on Sunday, June 5,2022 at the Michael G. Angiolillo Funeral Home, 210 Broadway, Whitehall, with burial immediately to follow. Family and friends will gather afterward at the old Roma.  

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