Obituary of Shirley Murphy

Shirley Rae Fairley Murphy of Fredericton passed away peacefully on July 12th, 2021 at Hospice House, surrounded by loving family and friends. Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia on March 7th, during a Nor'easter storm, Shirley was the seventh of Doris and Roy Murphy's eleven children. Shirley's family moved to Fredericton when she was in elementary school. Growing up, Shirley always knew that she would be a singer ... perhaps because every hymn or school song she sang ended up being one of her mother's favourites. Many school bands were created along the way, but at 19, Shirley answered a newspaper ad to audition for a band, was selected, and ended up meeting her husband at the same time. Shirley and Wayne were soulmates who loved each other deeply and unconditionally. She looked forward to being reunited with him in heaven. They shared a love of laughter and music. They performed together in various bands for several years. They enjoyed countless adventures and cherished the winters they spent on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Shirley was renowned for her outstanding gardening and landscaping. Her gorgeous yard was a canvas that she was dedicated to and she worked tirelessly at creating a stunning, peaceful and flower-filled oasis. She adored animals and was an enthusiastic bird-watcher. She took remarkable photos of birds. Always a creative, tenacious, passionate and loving person, Shirley will be greatly missed by her sisters and brothers, Isabel Murphy; Alleen Parsons (Dave); Sandra Smith; Eleanor Murdoch (Darrell); Pat Murphy (Annie); Karen Murphy; David Murphy (Donna Wong); Janet Murphy (Sandy Malcolm); and Rob Murphy (Sandra), as well as her sister-in-law Tess Hooks; many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and beloved friends, including her dear friend, Norma VanWart. And also her handsome cat, Ebony. Shirley was predeceased by her husband, Wayne Nightingale; her parents, Doris and Roy Murphy; her brother, Tom Murphy; her brother-in-law Don Smith; as well as her much-loved Lhasa Apsos, Tiffany and Madison. A funeral service celebrating Shirley's life will take place at Journey Church, 131 Duncan Lane, on Friday, July 16th, 2021 at 2 p.m. Due to social distancing restrictions attendance at the service will be by RSVP. To reserve a space please call McAdam's Funeral Home at 458-9170 or email mcadams@mcadamsfh.com with your name, number and the number of people in your group. For those who are unable to attend in person a livestream of the service will be available to view on the Journey Church Fredericton Facebook page. For those who wish, remembrances may be made to Hospice House Fredericton or the Canadian Cancer Society.