Margaret Eloise (Peggy) Shirey, 97

Margaret Eloise (Peggy) Shirey, 97, passed away peacefully with all her children in loving presence on January 7, 2026, in Hospice House.

Peggy was born in Ellwood City, PA to the late Charles Atwood Adams and Hazel (Curry) Adams, the youngest of four children. She knew hardship as a child of the depression and through the loss of her father at age six, resulting in her learning to be thrifty and valuing relationships over riches throughout life.

She met her childhood sweetheart, Lewis (Lew) Shirey, at an eighth-grade skating party. They were a couple throughout high school and college, married in 1951, and went on to celebrate over 70 years of marriage, modeling to family and friends how to nurture a rewarding partnership.

Both Peggy and Lew graduated from Lincoln High School and earned bachelor’s degrees at Westminster College. They were also active in theater in college and after, helping found the Red Barn Theater near Ellwood, together with a theater company which continues to entertain today. Peggy was also very active in her sorority, Kappa Delta, and formed lifelong bonds with sorority sisters, going on outings with them into her late years. After college, she had a career that spanned working at a racetrack, assisting a professor at Penn State, teaching business and typing (and substitute teaching, to the chagrin of her children, who sometimes had their mother in class), and later, preparing taxes.

Peggy and Lew had a family of four children, always giving each of them endless support, love and guidance during their lifetimes. While Lew’s work frequently took him out of town during the week, Peggy managed the kids and household on her own, developing the dedication, resilience, and stamina that would be hallmarks of her adult life and quiet lessons for her children.

Together, Peggy and Lew developed a passion for travel, eventually visiting every US state and several other countries. Favorite family vacations usually found them at the beach, often in Alabama and North Carolina, even as generations passed and family grew into the dozens.

Service and generosity were hallmarks of Peggy’s life and her welcoming smile, cheerful warmth and friendship touched the lives of many people. She was active for many years in community organizations, was an officer in the Pennsylvania Order of the Rainbow for Girls, served in the Poland and Ellwood Historical Societies, the Poland Trailwood Garden Club, and the Poland Athletic Boosters and she was a devoted member and volunteer at the Poland United Methodist Church for 55 years. Service to others was a way of life that guided how she treated people every day.

Peggy also shared her creativity through art (often in the Pennsylvania Dutch style), home décor, gardening and even in her presentation of beautiful, delicious meals for gatherings.

Friends and family knew Peggy always had a place at the table and a warm bed for them if they were coming across town or across the country. Whether in person or on the phone, she kept her web of community tightly connected as she gathered and relayed important information and updates, like the thread of a quilt, holding all the widespread patches together.

Peggy leaves behind, to cherish her memory, her children, Richard (Linda) Shirey of Grove City, OH, Eric (Linda Elwood) Shirey of Seattle, WA, Jane (Anthony) Congelio of Poland, and David (Cheri) Shirey of Bluffton, SC; her grandchildren, Alicia (Justin) Miller of Grove City, OH, Matthew (Amanda Kurold) Shirey of Winston-Salem, NC, Trevor Shirey of Worthington, OH, Christopher Congelio of Poland, Sage Shirey of Albany, NY, Tyler (Aubrey Deakle) Shirey of Denver, CO, Jax (Alan Morris) Shirey of Durham, NC, and Jason Shirey of Denver, CO; great-grandchildren, Skylar, Kaim, Aria, and Alexander; as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

In addition to her parents, Peggy was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lewis Shirey, her brother, Charles (Chuck) Adams, and sisters, Avereal Rhea, Phyllis Koach and Shirley Blaine.

Memorial tributes may be made through donations to the Poland United Methodist Church or the Cancer Research Institute.

At this time, there will be no calling hours or services for Peggy, but the family will hold a private memorial at the beach and a public celebration of life will be announced for a later date.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Cunningham-Becker Funeral Home in Poland. Please visit www.beckerobits.com to send the family condolences and share your memories.