Mrs. Shirley Ann Zamora passed away Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, at the age of 77.
Shirley was born April 20, 1945, in Pomona, Calif., a daughter to the late Arthur Zamora and the late Winifred Knox Zamora. She attended the University of Southern California, where she earned a degree in occupational therapy. She then moved to Boston to practice her profession, and it was there, she met her husband, Jeffrey Barrett. Shirley loved to travel, and following college, she explored Europe as a single woman, where she later returned with her husband to live and travel for two years. Upon their return to the states, she and Jeffrey moved to Washington, D.C., residing on Capitol Hill. They continued their visits abroad and visited almost every state in this country.
To those who knew her, Shirley was known for her warmth and ready generosity. The basis of this was her idea of love. It is normal for a person to love another because of the qualities they see in that person which would enhance the life of the lover, but Shirley took this a giant step further. What delighted her most in her relationships with others was not the taking, but the giving. Shirley expressed love by keenly understanding other people and thinking about what she could do to help those people achieve what they wanted. She was very “other” oriented. The largest beneficiary of this kind of love was her husband. She unreservedly supported him with every loony idea he ever had, even when she knew the idea was loony, as well as the ventures that proved successful.
Shirley’s attitude of “others first” extended to community service. Her stint as mayor of Onancock was the least of her accomplishments. She spent 30 years heavily involved in charitable church and community events. She was always ready to help.
Shirley grew up around Los Angeles and lived in Washington, D.C., for many years, but in her heart, she was always a small-town girl. When she and her husband could afford it, she exuberantly leapt at the opportunity to live in Onancock and design the country home of her dreams.
Shirley learned the art of how to be a happy person. The foundation of this was her constant sense of gratitude. She was grateful for her family, her friends, her local community, and her country. She took delight in the small things of life: reading, knitting, and watching butterflies bobbing up and down in her cherished gardens. She had no need for great wealth, status, or recognition for her many gestures of generosity.
Shirley was mature enough to have a happy life. She was also mature enough not to fear death. Her greatest worry about death during a long decline in her health was leaving her husband behind to live alone. This was typical Shirley. It was always about the “other.” When people like Shirley Zamora leave this earthly realm, the world is impoverished.
A service to celebrate Shirley’s life was held Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, at 2 p.m., at Market Street United Methodist Church with the Rev. Charlene Harris officiating.
In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Shirley’s life with a monetary donation, or the gift of your time, to your charity of choice.
Memory tributes may be shared with the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com
