Shirley was born on January 27, 1927, in St. Joseph, MO, to Harry and Lillie (Shanin) Specter. She spent her childhood years in Wichita and Russell, KS, then moved with her parents and younger brother, Arlen to Philadelphia, PA, where she soon met and married the love of her life, her late husband, Edwin M. Kety M.D.
Shirley and Edwin raised their four children in Phoenix, AZ, where they were an integral part of the founding members of the Orthodox Jewish community and the first Orthodox Jewish Day School, the Phoenix Hebrew Academy. Shirley’s lifelong love of books led her to pursue a B.S. in Library Science at The University of Arizona. In 1973, the Kety family relocated to Elizabeth, NJ, where Shirley had an illustrious career working as a librarian for the Elizabeth Board of Education and retired from the job she loved in 1997.
Matched only by her love for books was Shirley’s passion for politics. Shirley could often be found in her kitchen listening to her favorite channel, C-SPAN, and when her younger brother Arlen was elected to the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, she was elated and followed his monumental career with devotion and pride.
Listed high among her successes will be her lasting legacy of instilling in all of her children and grandchildren a deep love for reading, respect and appreciation for the United States and a strong Jewish identity.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Edwin, brothers Morton and Arlen, and sister Hilda. She is survived by her four children, Suzanne and Rabbi Louis Fliegelman in Chicago, IL, Cassandra Kety in Atlanta, GA, Stewart and Gail Kety in Ra'anana, Israel, and Sara Kety in Bergen County, New Jersey; grandchildren Yael, Aliza, Ellie, Gilly, Aaron, Avi, Adam, Tobi, Zohar, Amitai, Tehila, David, and Yarden; great-grandchildren Aidan, Emily, Josh, Nadav, Ari, Emunah, Kira, Yael, and Hayley.
The funeral service will be held graveside on Monday, November 16, 2020 at 2:00 pm at the JEC Cemetery 26 Floral Avenue, Newark, NJ 07114.
You may attend the graveside service virtually by following the link below for the Livestream.
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