Montpelier, VT Shirley S. Burley, formerly of Lansdowne, PA, passed away peacefully on July 1, 2011, at the Berlin Health and Rehabilitation Center, Berlin, VT. Her two sons — Don and David — had been by her side. Shirley was born November 23, 1920, in Defiance, Ohio, the daughter of Carl and Agnes Smith. She graduated from Defiance High School in 1938 as class valedictorian and remembered giving her valedictory speech along side of Ohio Governor Martin L. Davey. In 1942, Shirley graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. While auditing an economics class at Ohio State University, she met her instructor, Orin E. Burley. After working together at the Office of Price Administration, where Orin was the "State Executive," they were married on April 14, 1946. Shirley borrowed her wedding dress from her best friend, Betty Kirtley, who was also her maid of honor. Shirley and Orin then moved to Philadelphia, where Orin joined the faculty of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After their first son, Don, was born in 1949, they moved to a house in Upper Darby, PA. Their second son, David, was born in 1950. While raising both boys, Shirley went back to school and earned a Masters Degree in American Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Shirley remained in the same house in Upper Darby until February 2010, when she relocated to Berlin, Vermont, to be near David and his family. Shirley was very active. She was a board member of the Lansdowne, PA, YMCA from 1968 to 1980 and again from 1982 to 1987. She met great friends through service to the "Y," including Nancy Runk, who now lives in Morgan, Vermont, and Hank Van Zanten, who lives in Springfield, PA. She was also a board member of the Riverview Presbyterian Church (now Calvary-Riverview) in Drexel Hill, PA, where she taught Sunday school. In addition, Shirley was chairman of the Women's Group at Rolling Green Golf Club, Springfield, PA, for many years. Her favorite sports were tennis and golf. Her greatest tennis achievement was becoming the Town of Defiance champion while still in high school. As she told the story, after losing the second set in a best-of-three championship match, her fans convinced her opponent to change the match to best-of-five and she went on to win the next three sets and the championship. Shirley was also a member of a women's golf team at Rolling Green, but her crowning achievement in golf was a hole-in-one at Rolling Green. She also loved to play cribbage and bridge and was still playing cribbage until her final days. Shirley is survived by her two sons — Don of Washington, DC, and David of East Montpelier, VT — and their families — Don's wife Bridget and their children, Anne and Michael, and David's wife Virginia and their children, Aaron, Hannah, and Cassie. Shirley's family is especially grateful to her friends from Pennsylvania who helped her so much in her last years there, including Nancy Runk, Jerry and Linda Carothers, and Beth Ann Maas. Shirley will be remembered fondly for her sense of humor, wonderful knitting, independence, resourcefulness, and resilience, and for the love that she gave to her family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to your local YMCA, YWCA, or other youth organization. Written remembrances may be sent to [emailprotected] Arrangements are in the care of Guare & Sons Funeral Home.