Shirley L. Whalen, 82, of The Villages, FL, and formerly of East Providence, RI, went to Heaven early in the morning of January 27, 2025 after a lingering illness.

Shirley was born on May 20,1942 to Lester and June E. (Noonan) Russell and grew up in East Providence. She attended local public schools, Bay View Academy middle school, and East Providence High School, Class of 1960. After high school Shirley worked in the offices of The Outlet Company in Providence before beginning a career as a customer service representative `for AMICA insurance in Providence and Lincoln, RI, from which she retired in 1997.

In 1969 she married Bill Whalen, also of East Providence, and they bought a home in town where they lived until divorcing in 2005. During the warm weather season they spent weekends cruising Narraganset Bay and Block Island Sound on their 22-foot powerboat.

On June 1,2002, purely by chance, she ran into her high school sweetheart, Barney Madden, who was living in Sacramento, CA, and was in town for his 40-year reunion at Providence College. He was driving his rental van checking out the old home town when he notice a lady walking her dog and pulled over to the curb. As she approached, he lowered the window, asked, if she were Shirley, she said, looked in the window, and yelled "Barney!" Both of their lives changed after that encounter, and four years later, after two divorces and a coast-to-coast romance they moved together to the historic side of The Villages where they started a new life, made new friends, and enjoyed the lifestyle, especially around the Tiki Bar and the pool at Orange Blossom Hills CC.

After moving to The Villages from RI, Shirley and Barney flew to Sacramento, cleared his apartment, said bye to his buddies—and his brother-in-law—and drove to Florida.  Shirley found that she loved travelling to new places, so they used their time share points to travel all over the US and Cozumel, Mexico. Tuesday was always Shirley Day, so we day-tripped where she wanted to go! And for 10 years an annual cruise, to Bermuda, the Caribbean, and finally Hawaii and Vancouver.

Our last trip to Cozumel was in January, 2020. The vacation week was great. But the booking, Tampa, Miami, Cozumel was exhausting!  And then came Covid,  Forced isolation really affected Shirley. She became homebound. She did make one more trip, to Clearwater Beach in December 2020, but didn't want to leave the house after that although she was in good physical condition, but tired.

In March 2024 Shirley suffered the first of three severe urinary tract infections and spent two weeks in the hospital and rehab. She recovered, but not completely. In September the second UTI took her four weeks to come home, with more complications. She was unable to recover from the third UTI.

Shirley's life will be celebrated with a Requiem Mass at St Paul Polish National Catholic Church , Belleview, FL on Saturday, March 22,2025 at 11:00AM. A Repast luncheon will follow at Francesco's Ristorante, and a cocktail and appetizer reception will be later that afternoon at Orange Blossom Hills CC. All are welcome. She will be buried with her mother and father in East Providence at a future date.  Arrangements entrusted with BALDWIN BROTHERS Funeral & Cremation Society-Spanish Springs, 352-430-1449.  Sentiments are encouraged at www.baldwincremation.com .