WORCESTER. Shirley Dunbar, 88, of 70 Briarwood Circle, died on August 8, 2016 at Knollwood Nursing Center following a brief illness.
Born in Glen Ridge, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Burchard K. and Eleanor (Browning) Look of Newport, Maine. She was married to Bradford F. Dunbar of Worcester, who predeceased her in 1993.
Mrs. Dunbar is survived by two nephews, John E. Brewer and his wife, Jane M., of Ipswich MA, and Stephen B. Brewer and Stefanie Baptiste of Tampa, FL; a grandniece, Mallery E. Brewer Ross and her husband Matt Ross of Naples ME; and two grandnephews, J. Alexander Brewer and Benjamin E. Brewer, of Los Angeles CA.
She was a graduate of Westbrook Junior College in Portland, ME, and the University of Maine, Orono. She was a Phi Beta Kappa. In addition, she was a graduate of the Salter Secretarial School of Worcester.
Following college, Mrs. Dunbar taught English and Speech at Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford, ME. For many years, she was employed at The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company in Worcester, where she held many positions, primarily as a Legal Secretary and Law Librarian. Following this, she served as a Staff Assistant of the English Education Department. She also served as Executive Secretary of an NDEA English Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, MA. She was a Legal Secretary for the firm of Pierce, Atwood, Scribner, Allen & McKusick in Portland, ME. After her marriage, she worked for five years on the secretarial staff of the First Baptist Church.
Mrs. Dunbar was active in civic, professional and alumni organizations. She was a member of the Worcester Art Museum, Preservation Worcester and Old Sturbridge Village. She was also a member of the First Baptist Church for more than fifty years. Her activities there included teaching church school, serving on the Board of Christian Education, cooking for the Mustard Seed, and being a member of the Hearthstone and the Graduates.
Mrs. Dunbar loved art, was interested in history, and especially enjoyed time spent along the New England coast.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 13 at 2 p.m. at CALLAHAN FAY & CASWELL FUNERAL HOME, 61 Myrtle St., Worcester. Private burial will be at Hope Cemetery. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Memorial Fund of First Baptist Church, 111 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01609.