Obituary of Shirley Sarkis

Shirley S. Sarkis (1925 – 2025), 99, of Glastonbury Connecticut, passed away on January 13, 2025 of natural causes.  Shirley was born in Waltham, Massachusetts and moved to Hartford as a young girl.  Daughter of Charles and Martha Stowe, sister to Barbara Hanks and brother to George Stowe.  Shirley graduated from Colby College and went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University.  She worked for the Town of Manchester as a librarian for many years and ran the Whiten Memorial Library Branch before retiring.  Shirley was a true character who loved reading and listening to classical music.   Mozart and martinis were her ultimate pastime.   Her happiest times were attending the opera at Lincoln Center or a classical music event at Tanglewood, or just when she could sit quietly with a book and listen to music on the radio.   She was a huge fan of Luciano Pavarotti, Puccini, and Verdi.                     

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband and grandson, Arthur J. Sarkis and Benjamin Arthur Sarkis.   She is survived by her children Saadia Sarkis of Alexandria VA, Charles and Lynn Sarkis of Boulder CO, and Michelle, Jon and Matthew Sarkis of Amston CT. 

Special thanks to all her caregivers at Hallbrook of Glastonbury, they truly went the extra mile for Shirley.           

Services will be private and at the convenience of the family.   Shirley was a big animal lover so donations can be made to the CT Humane Society, or donate and support your local library. For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.