Shirley M. Fournier of Warren passed away on December 28, 2019, at the age of 93. She was born to the late William and Emma Gardiner on September 11, 1926. She was the oldest of four children, followed by the late Emme Seyez and William “Frank” Gardiner, and her surviving sister Marjorie DaPonte. Shirley graduated from Warren High School in 1944 and immediately began work as a bank teller to help support her family. The early loss of her beloved mother that same year put an end to any plans for further education.
Shirley married her first love, Raymond J. Fournier, after his return from military service in 1948. They enjoyed 53 years of a loving marriage until his death in early 2002. Shirley is survived by three children: Suzanne J. Fournier, of Warren; Jo-Anne and her husband Michael Caron, of Portsmouth; and Patricia and her husband Thomas Hanson, of Bristol. She was the devoted grandmother of Tom Hanson, whose presence in her life was a continuing source of joy and comfort to the end.
The cornerstones of Shirley’s life were faith and family. She entered the Catholic Church shortly before her marriage and, with her husband Ray, raised her children in its truth. She returned to the workforce in 1968, but her greatest accomplishments were the home which she created for her family and the delicious hospitality which she offered friends and relatives. Her favorite vacations were trips to the knotty pine cabins of NH with her young family and later visits to FL to spend time with her sisters Emme and Margie. She was immensely proud of her daughters’ and grandson’s achievements and their wider adventures in travel.
Shirley’s funeral will be held on Friday, January 3, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. with a Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary Church, 330 Wood St in Bristol. Graveside burial will be in St. Jean Baptiste Cemetery, Warren. Visitation will take place on Thursday, January 2, 2020, from 4-7 p.m. at the Waring-Sullivan Home at Birchcrest, 189 Gardners Neck Rd. in Swansea, Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts in Shirley’s memory to the RI Community Food Bank (200 Niantic Ave, Providence, RI 02907) or to the Shrine of St.-Anne-de-Beaupre (Secretariat of the Shire, 9797 Saint Anne Blvd., Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré QC G0A 3C0, Canada).
