Shirley Irene Collier, age 81, a lifelong resident of Medford, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on March 4, 2026.
Born in Medford on May 9, 1944, Shirley was the daughter of Joseph and Lillian Smith. She graduated from Medford High School with the Class of 1962 and remained proud to call Medford her home throughout her life.
Shirley was a proud member of the Teamsters Union and worked for many years as a clerical biller. She took great pride in her work and in the many friendships she formed throughout her career.
Above all else, Shirley cherished time spent with her family. She especially loved traveling with family and friends and spending time down the Cape with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed cooking, baking, and gardening. For 25 years, she spent her winters as a snowbird in West Palm Beach, Florida. Shirley will be remembered for her kindness to everyone she met and for her deep devotion to her grandchildren and great-grandchild.
In addition to her beloved husband of sixty two years, Clifton E. Collier of Medford, she is survived by her daughters, Deborah Luongo and her husband Daniel of Medford, and Jill Citrano and her husband Gene of Stoneham; her cherished grandchildren, Nicole Falkenstrom and her husband James of Reading, Vanessa Giovino and her husband Richard of Stoneham, Victoria Luongo of Medford, Jacqueline Luongo of Medford, Richard Citrano and his fiancée Stephanie Milazzo of Tampa, Florida, and Carli Citrano of Stoneham; and her beloved great-grandson, Christian Falkenstrom of Reading.
Shirley was sadly predeceased by her seven siblings Robert, Joseph, and Ernest “Lefty” Smith; Ruth Farinato, Jean Govostes, Rita Gliniak, and Esther O’Connor.
Shirley’s warmth, kindness, and devotion to her family will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
A funeral service will be conducted in the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., MEDFORD, Wednesday, March 11th, at 11 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend and may visit with the family prior to the service from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Services will conclude with interment at Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford. It has been requested that in lieu of flowers contributions in Shirl’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memorials Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.