Evelyn Shirley (Collins) Baptista will be remembered most for strength of character, generosity, and her devotion to her late husband and family. She died on February 26, 2010 at Caritas Norwood Hospital, Norwood, MA at the age of 85. The cause was complications from COPD although she never smoked. Even though in the past few years she became legally blind she never let that stop her from continuing her love of golf playing up until this past summer.
She was the devoted and loving wife of James F. Baptista for 57 years, until his death 2 years ago, a lifelong resident of 18 Hope St., Taunton and a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church. Shirley was a summer resident of Swifts’ Beach, Wareham, MA for over 60 years. She was the daughter of the late Nelson W. Collins and M. Evelyn (Carrier). She leaves her two loving daughters, Deborah A. Moore of Holliston, MA, her husband, John D. and her grandson John J., her daughter Karen A. Baptista and her daughter Lauren, of Dover, MA. with whom she has resided the past two years. She is also survived by her sister, Louise Collins of Natick, MA & formerly of Taunton, her sister the late Betty Ahrens of Hartford, CT, the late Gloria Collins and the late Robert Collins both of Taunton. She also leaves her goddaughter, Patricia Collins of Provincetown and many nieces and nephews.
She graduated from Taunton High School, Class of 1942. Shirley was a majorette in high school & upon graduating became the instructor for the majorettes, flag twirlers & drum major of the THS band for over 30 years as well as at Bishop Cassidy High School (Coyle Cassidy HS, Taunton). She marched in the Drum & Bugle Corp as a majorette along with her husband James who played the drums. She loved politics along with her husband and one of her proudest moments was being asked to greet Pres. John F. Kennedy as he stepped off the plane at Logan Airport when she was president of the Democratic Women on Wheels in MA. She was a Girl Scout leader, and taught the drill team and majorettes at the Taunton Girls’ Club for many years leading them in many Memorial Day parades. She also taught at Gilbert Perry Dance Studios and loved conducting recitals for her students. She belonged to the St. Mary’s Women’s Guild.
Her two grandchildren, Johnny and Lauren were the love of her life and she was never happier than when she was with them. Besides her love of skiing, ice skating, golf and swimming she spent many days out on their boat at Swifts’ Beach in Buzzards Bay with her husband, daughters and then grandchildren and always loved a good clam boil with her family and friends at her summer home.
She was employed at the Old Colony Manufacturing Co. as a bookkeeper, and later at Fernandes Supermarket offices in Norton as an office manager in the meat dept. for over 27 years. After her retirement from Fernandes she worked for Hy-Line Cruises, Onset, MA for the Cape Cod Canal Cruises.
Visiting hours are Friday, March. 5, from 5 to 8 PM at O’Keefe-Wade Funeral Home, 70 Washington St., Taunton, MA 02780. A funeral will be held from the O’Keefe-Wade Funeral Home at 10 AM, Saturday, March 6 followed by a funeral mass at 11 AM at St. Mary’s Church, corner of Broadway & Washington Sts., Taunton, MA.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Lung Association of New England Headquarters, 460 Totten Pond Road, Suite 400, Waltham, MA, 02451-1991 in her name.