Birth date: Oct 4, 1960 Death date: Mar 19, 2026
Shirley Gonong passed away peacefully on March 19, 2026, at the age of 65. Born on October 4, 1960, Shirley brought a unique light into the world—one defined by innocence, joy, and a spirit that remained forever youthful. To thos Read Obituary
At one of Shirley' Birthday Parties. We'll miss you Shirley. Rest in Peace and Love ❤️ 🙏
I'll never forget the yearly interaction with Shirley where she would remind me of my birthdate -- and yours, too, I'm sure! Growing up, she would spank us for each year of our age. We would run away or hide but she would always find us to give us our birthday spanking. She would sing Happy Birthday in her special way: "Mah-mah Moonay to you!" And she would ask: "You 2-6 or 2-7?" And when I would tell her my actual age, whether it was 28 or 52, you know what she would say... "YOU OLD!""
She carried this tradition of her birthday interaction to her nieces and nephews, too. Whenever she saw my sons, she would ask: "How old? You 18 or 19?" When my son Dominic turned 18, he said he wanted to see Auntie Shirley so that he could finally answer her question correctly!
She made sure I knew her birthday was coming up, too. I was invited to her party months in advance. And I knew she wanted cake, balloons, and presents.
It's hard to believe we won't be seeing Shirley anymore during our family visits. I'll miss her toothless smile and her talk about the casino, buying a house, or why I have 3 boys but no " irl " and how much she wanted a baby irl.
She had a simple outlook on life and she was a child at heart all 66 years of her life. Many times it wasn't easy interpreting what she was saying, but she helped me to practice patience and to stop for a few minutes to see things as she did and communicate with her on her level.
So, thank you, Shirley, for teaching me to have patience, for your love and attention to my birthday, and all our birthdays! We will all remember you when we greet each other on our birthdays with "Mah-mah Moonay!" Rest in peace!
Shirley at Las Vegas
My Auntie Shirley, was a wild Card, was always unpredictable, and most important was always happy. She may have drove me insane while I was growing up, and we may have clashed here and there, but to me she was the person that no matter who you are, If you messed with her you would be messing with me. I will miss her knowledge of knowing when peoples birthdays are approaching. I will miss the way she would have OCD about the leaves being blown on the concrete. I will miss the way she made time slow down. I will miss how if you had good food in front of you and she didn’t you would have to give her some, I have a bunch of found memories about her, but the memories I cherish and the lesson she always taught me I cherish the most, as some still play a vital role in my life to this day. She knew she was different but it didn’t bother her, she knew I was different and made sure I knew it, “No matter the cards you are dealt you must always look at the positives in life. Who knows you might hit the Jackpot”
