Shirley M. Avila

Born in Dartmouth, a daughter of the late Joseph and Mary (Motta) Avila she was a lifelong Dartmouth resident and a graduate of Dartmouth High School.

Miss Avila worked in medical billing for Macedo’s Pharmacy. She also owned and operated her own business baking and decorating cakes. In her spare time, she enjoyed crocheting, knitting, shopping, dancing, singing and music. Shirley loved all animals and also enjoyed reading, cooking, and baking. She will be remembered as a great babysitter and she always lived her life her way.

She is survived by three siblings, Joseph Avila, Jr. and his wife Dorothy of Dartmouth, Cynthia Merrill of KS, and Rosalie Baptiste and her husband Louis of Rochester; sister-in-law, Ruth Avila of Orlando, FL; 15 nieces and nephews, James, Shelley, Marc, Scott, Jenny, Michael, Susan, Michelle, April, David, Brianna, Linda, Rebecca, Rachael, and Rhonda; 28 great nieces and nephews, five great-great nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late James and Betty Avila and another sister who passed away at the age of four. She was the sister-in-law of the late Gary Merrill.

Her funeral will be Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 10:00 am in the WARING-SULLIVAN at DARTMOUTH, 230 Russells Mills Rd., Dartmouth. Burial will be private. Visitation will be Monday 4-8 pm. For online tribute and directions www.waring-sullivan.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the New Life for Paws charity which finds homes for stray, neglected and abandoned street dogs in Aruba. Donations can be made at https://www.newlifeforpaws.org/donate.