Shirley Ann Sanders Longware, 96, passed away at Champlain Valley Senior Community (CVSC) in Willsboro on Oct. 4, 2024. She had been a resident there since 2018.

Born June 10, 1928, she was the firstborn child of Herbert Sanders Sr. and Beatrice Hebert Sanders. She graduated from Peru Central School in 1945 and went on to earn a B.S. in Business Administration from The College of St. Rose in Albany in 1949. She worked in the family business, Peru Bottling Company, in Plattsburgh prior to her marriage.

Shirley married John Frederick Longware Sr. on Oct. 20, 1951 at St. Augustine Church in Peru. The couple moved to Fort Benning, G.A., where John was serving with the U.S. Army. Eventually they returned to the North Country, living in Plattsburgh before building their home in Peru and raising four children. Their union lasted 68 years until John's death.

Shirley earned her Master of Science in Education from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1967. She touched the lives of hundreds of children during her 19-year career as a second grade teacher at Peru Elementary School prior to retiring in 1983.

Shirley enjoyed working on crossword puzzles and Sudoku, birdwatching, indulging in coffee ice cream, and reveling in the beauty of a cloudless blue sky. A lifetime member of St. Augustine Parish in Peru, Shirley was supported by her faith throughout her life. She was active in the parish and a regular communicant while she and John were still living in Peru.

Shirley was a devoted and loving wife and mother. John often told their children how lucky they were to have her as their mother, and they agreed. She was a wonderful example of what a parent should be, setting a high bar and always encouraging her sons and daughter to do their best.

Shirley was predeceased by her husband in 2019, and her son John Longware Jr. and her brother Herbert Sanders, both in 2023. Shirley is survived by her daughter Beth and son-in-law Thomas Duff of Becket, Mass.; son Herb and daughter-in-law Eileen Longware of Willsboro; and son Thom Longware of Port Kent. She is also survived by four grandsons: David Duff and his wife Shira of Norton, Mass.; Erik Duff of Willsboro; Mat Longware of Mooers; and Max Longware of Plattsburgh. Surviving great-grandchildren are Jaxson and Eliana Duff of Norton, Mass.

The Longware family would like to thank the staff of CVSC, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, and High Peaks Hospice for the care they provided to Shirley over the last several years, and especially in recent months.

Visitation will begin at 10 am on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 at St. Augustine Church, 3035 Main Street, Peru, with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11 am. Father William G. Reamer will be the celebrant. Committal prayers and burial will follow in the parish cemetery.

Donations in her memory may be made to the charity of one's choice.

Arrangements are in the care of the Hamilton Funeral Home, 294 Mannix Road, Peru, 518-643-9055. To make a floral purchase, offer an online condolence, share a symbolic gesture, or share a photo in memory of Shirley Longware please visit www.hamiltonfuneralhome.com