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SHIRLEY ANN (KOBAN) HALEY Age 83, of Lower Burrell, PA, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2019, in Lower Burrell. Tom Haley, her loving husband of 64 years, was at her side. Family and friends are invited to gather beginning at 10:00 am on December 14, 2019, in the lobby of Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Lower Burrell, prior to a funeral Mass beginning at 11:00 a.m. Immediately following the Mass, a remembrance and lunch for Shirley will be held at Mogie's Irish Pub in Lower Burrell. The eldest of three daughters to coal miner Mike Mutty Koban and Alice Opina Koban, Shirley was born December 18, 1935 in Sagamore, PA. She cared deeply for her sisters, extended family and Slovak roots, and when the family moved to Renton, PA, she found the beloved town she'd always remember as home. She graduated from Plum High School in 1953, where she was a cheerleader for the Mustangs. On a blind date arranged by Carolyn and Jimmy Nesbit, Shirley met a young sailor from Portsmouth, OH; they fell in love, and she married Thomas Edward Haley on September 3, 1955. Shirley and Tom had five children between 1958 and 1964 as they moved between Portsmouth and Plum, and in 1969, they relocated to Lower Burrell, where they lived for 20 years. Later, after moving to Annapolis, MD, the couple returned to greater Pittsburgh, most recently resettling back in Lower Burrell. Shirley was a loving, involved and hardworking mother and wife, keeping a warm and bustling home while Tom continued through college and his career in the Navy and Westinghouse. Throughout her life, she put the needs of each and every person she encountered before her own, and her love resonated through her many passions: from family and friends, to the Steelers and Pirates, her card clubs, her dogs, (Dirk and Bandit), her children's nonstop activities (and some shenanigans), and later, to her six grandchildren, of whom she was incredibly proud. She loved being Slovak and sharing traditional (and sometimes non-traditional) recipes, teaching her grandkids to say Dupa, and stockpiling halupki and pirohi (not pierogi) for family visits. Shirley was pure warmth, always ready to laugh at juvenile jokes and sing Broadway hits, especially with her sisters and grandkids. She instilled values of patience and compassion in her family, and she was always the first to find a silver lining on the many clouds she encountered. (One exception: she never could find anything good to say about any sports teams from Ohio.) Even as her memory faltered, Shirley still loved to sing her favorite songs and wear the black and gold. Shirley and Tom traveled to Europe, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and she embraced many of the adventures of life. But through it all, it was being home with family in Plum and Lower Burrell that Shirley most enjoyed. In addition to her husband, Tom, 85, Shirley is survived by her children: Sheryl Haley (Jack Widmer); Karen (Tom) Reynolds; Thomas M. Haley (Kristin Dvorsky); and Joseph Haley, as well as grandchildren, Tanya Reynolds (Scott Stahl), Jacqui Reynolds (Kevin Gallagher), Brian (Devan) Haley, Thomas D. Haley, Kelly Haley and Andy Widmer. She is also survived by her sister, Alice Eileen (Bob) LoBianco and many nieces, nephews, relatives and lifelong and cherished family friends. She was preceded in death by her infant daughter, Michelle Marie and her loving sister, Margaret Jean Manion. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to charities benefiting Parkinson's Research, including the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Parkinson's Disease Association. Arrangements by RUSIEWICZ FUNERAL HOMES, INC. www.RusiewiczFH.com Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb
