Shirley E French 11/11/1934 – 5/3/2026

Shirley passed away peacefully of natural causes at the age of 91 in her hometown of Fords, NJ.

Beloved mother of Joseph, Darren and Chris, mother-in-law of Lori Lazarus and the late Deborah Croce, sister of John Smiriga, the late Rose Hornsby, the late Steven Smiriga and admired aunt and cherished friend to many. She was married to the late Walter French, father of her children, for 20 years.

Shirley was born, raised and lived most of her life in Fords, NJ. She graduated Woodbridge high school in the early 1950's and proudly went back to school and graduated Middlesex College with honors in the late seventies. Shirley then became a teacher's assistant and taught grade school for several years. She was well respected and universally well-liked by her students.

She then became a reservationist, travel planner and flight attendant for Eastern and Continental airlines which enabled her to travel the world extensively with family and friends.

Shirley went all around the U.S., Hawaii, North and South America and all over Europe. She skied the Alps in Europe, Vail and Lake Tahoe, rode the waves in Hawaii, the Hamptons, and the Jersey shore, swam the Pacific and Atlantic oceans from Maine to Florida and the Caribbean, ate in the Piazza square in Rome, drank Guiness in Ireland, rode a ship down the Danube through Europe and the train up the mountains in Chile, drank pina coladas in the pool at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, wine and champagne in Paris, ate lobsters in Massachusetts, stayed and played at The Borgata in Atlantic City and the Hard Rock in Florida, and some of the most beautiful hotels in the world. She even went back to the "old country" of her ancestors (Hungary) to feel her "gypsy blood". Shirley went so many places and did so many things we cannot recall them all.

But…..I think the times she truly enjoyed the most were spending time together with her loving family, eating, drinking, laughing, telling stories, reminiscing and, of course, playing pinochle at her and Chris's home in Fords, Darren's homes in the Hamptons, Edgewater, and Asbury Park, NJ., Joe and Lori's homes in Florida and NYC, her sister Rose's home in California, her nieces, Maryanne and Amy's homes in Boston  and wherever we all got together for weddings, birthdays, holidays, parties and special occasions.

In her later years, Shirley worked for a travel agency and, also, for the Garden Club of New Jersey. She always had the "Farmer's Daughter" green thumb from the time she was a child. Shirley always kept a beautiful yard with all kinds of plants and flowers. She loved to tend her garden, plants, and flowers and grew everything from roses to tomatoes and watermelon. She would also feed the hundreds of birds who visited daily to eat, chirp and hang out in the big trees in the back yard. She was still out in the back yard gardening and feeding the birds her entire life.

Shirley loved school more than anyone. She would wake up every day, from first grade through high school, with great anticipation of what she would learn and experience that day. She was a voracious reader and loved to learn. Shirley had a life-long affection for the library. From a young child to her last days, she would spend time in the library just about every week. She loved all kinds of reading material, from newspapers, magazines, biographies, high adventure, romance to history, entertainment, cookbooks and gardening. She was also a social butterfly who loved to help plan and go to parties, events, dances and everything that high school entailed. She just loved it.

That was part of what made her a great teacher, also. She loved to impart knowledge and encouragement. Plus, her natural kindness, patience and genuine concern for people. Even some of the "challenging" kids, years later some of those "mischievous" kids would say, "Mrs. French was the best and my favorite teacher!"

Shirley loved the English language and crossword puzzles (very good at scrabble too).
She would finish the crossword puzzle in the paper every day before lunch. Without help. Well, maybe she would ask for help on a sports question occasionally.
She continued to do crosswords with her breakfast all her life.

Shirley loved to play tennis, especially on the clay courts in Perth Amboy, which gave her more time to get to the ball. She spent many days in the parks playing with family, friends and her tennis club friends. That great group of women would meet weekly for tennis, sometimes lunch or movies. Even when they could not play tennis, they continued to meet for lunch or a movie for many years after.

Shirley also loved to roller skate and was an especially good ice skater. She learned as a child on the ponds and lakes in Fords, Woodbridge and Roosevelt parks and taught many of us as kids. She could do figure 8's, jumps and skate backwards so gracefully. It was wonderful to watch.

We all learned so much about so many things from her and by observing her.

Shirley knew so many little common sense, "old school" things that few others did. Many she learned from her old school relatives growing up. Others she learned herself.

She read the columns Hints from Heloise and Ann Landers in the paper every day and could tell you all kinds of little known tips like how to get out stains, how to trim and feed flowers, best way to clean the good china, or, proper etiquette like how to write a thank you note, invitation or letter, how to set the table, or just how to do something "the right way".

Shirley had integrity, honesty, compassion and class.

Shirley loved to cook, especially for her family and on the holidays. The dinner table was always a place of laughter, love, and delicious food cooked from the heart. She was known for her Hungarian specialties learned from her gourmet cook mother, Mary Smiriga. Mary did share her recipes with Shirley and her sister Rose, but she would always leave out a little something. It drove her crazy, but Shirley watched very carefully over the years to discover what those extra secret somethings were and eventually learned them all.
It was delicious seasonings (only the good Hungarian paprika) and mouth-watering homemade sauces for her meat loaf and pork chops with noodles and Hungarian specialties like stuffed cabbage, stuffed peppers, Hungarian kielbasa and sauerkraut, chicken paprikash,
pork chops with scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, superb home-made cole slaw, cucumber salad, macaroni and tuna fish. Whatever it was, she made them all from scratch.  Shirley could (and often did) turn even someone else's mediocre potato salad into a tasty treat. She would do it in secret and not tell anyone.

More than once I have heard the host or a guest who made it say, "This is the best potato salad I ever made"! Shirley would smile wryly and say, "I had to do something!"

And the homemade desserts! Chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar cookies, homemade brownies, chocolate cream pie and so much more. All baked by hand from scratch.

As anyone who ever came to Shirley's house for the holidays could tell you, I could go on and on. Her Christmas Eve dinners and parties were legendary.

Shirley loved to eat out in restaurants, too. However, many is the time she would say, if asked, "I could make that better at home!"
She did have her favorites though. Lamb chops and creamed spinach at Mark Joseph's, steak and sizzling bacon at Peter Luger's and just about anything at The River Palm. She most enjoyed going out with her family and always looked forward to birthdays and Mother's Day dinners.

A late in life highlight for Shirley was her 90th birthday celebration weekend in New Jersey the family put together for her. It was a 3-day celebration of love and honor for her. She was surprised, but, very pleased, that so many people loved her that they came from all over the country to spend three days together with her. Relatives and friends from all sides of the family gathered in the same place at the same time for the first and only time that congregation would ever be all together. It was such a special occasion filled with love, laughter, food and drink and even a genuine concert pianist friend playing classics, requests and sing along. It was such a joyous and memorable time.

It was everything Shirley could ask for and more, for her and all the loved ones who attended.

Shirley was such a great mom. Supportive, patient, loving, generous and fun. She drove the Oldsmobile nine seat station wagon twice a week in the carpool, driving around the neighborhood, picking up kids until the wagon was full. We loved listening to Cousin Brucie and The Beatles on AM radio.  We would take that same wagon to the drive-in movies in our pajamas, bring goodies, use the playground and watch a double feature. We took such wonderful vacations in our childhood. Two week stays in Wildwood, Seaside and Lavalette on the Jersey Shore, going to the beach, playing shuffleboard and miniature golf, eating, playing, riding the rides on the boardwalk and playing Skee ball. Shirley taught us how to play and often still beat us years later. We took wonderful road trips to places like Gettysburg, Shenandoah Valley and Skytop in Virginia, Williamsburg, Bear Mountain and so many others. I can't imagine anyone who had a better childhood than us.

Shirley also instilled in us her lifelong love for games, especially card games like Michigan Rummy, canasta, poker, and many others. Above all, I think everyone loved pinochle the most.

Three handed, four handed, six handed, she loved them all.  Shirley was an expert player and taught us all in the style she learned. So now we are all expert players!

Thank you Mom for loving us with all your heart and giving us the best childhood. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made for us. There was nothing you wouldn't do for us.

When you would tell everyone that you were very lucky, you had the best sons. Really, we were the lucky ones. We all love you.

Shirley was the best mom, mother-in-law, aunt, doggie grandma, friend, and person anyone could ever wish for. Shirley will be greatly missed by all and will be forever in our hearts.

A Celebration of Life will be held honoring Shirley with family and friends on Saturday, June 27th at 15 Annett Ave., Edgewater NJ 07020. The celebration will commence at approximately 3:30 pm.

A second celebration will be held on Sunday, June 28th at Shirley & Chris's home,

Please share any special memories, stories, pictures, etc. here online.

Alternatively, you may send any correspondence, pictures, etc. to Lori Lazarus at lorilazarus@mac.com

Cremation was under the direction of Flynn and Son / Mitruska Funeral Homes, Fords, NJ