The Obituary Shirley Christina Hinds Lowery Gadson was born in Brooklyn, NY on January 3, 1935.  She was the daughter of the late Violet Hinds and Silas Massey both of Princeton New Jersey. When they moved to Philadelphia her mother married the late James (Jimmy) Jones who raised and loved Shirley as his own. Shirley was educated in Philadelphia Public Schools: Mead Elementary,  Fitzsimons Jr. High and graduated from Murrell Dobbins Vocational Technical  School in January 1953. Shirley was United in holy matrimony to the late John E. Lowery on September 19, 1953 until his passing on October 6, 1993.  Three children were born to this union: Eric K Lowery Sherrell D. Lowery McLaurin and Leslie A. Lowery.  Shirley later married Paul Gadson in October 1998 who passed away May 2007.   Shirley was employed as a telephone operator with the Bell Telephone Company from 1953 until retiring in 1993. Her passion and love of working with small children brought her briefly out of retirement to work at Berry Long Day Care. Shirley grew up in St. Augustine Church and later became a dedicated member of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in her adult years.  Shirley announced her preference to be called Shirl and she continued to elevate her love of music, dancing, drawing and socializing.  She was a member of the ladies group "Club Ideal" that planned trips and hosted social events.  Monday evenings she went to LaRose Jazz Club to listen to jazz, dance and socialize. She was a co-founding and dedicated member of the Dobbins Area Vocational-Technical School  Alumni Association working on the school newspaper and assisting in planning over a decade of class reunions. She will be remembered for her charming fun-loving spirit,  humorous outlook on life,  wearing red and her willingness to support and help anyone in need. She had a love for animals, children and her "Hinds" heritage. God called Shirl home unexpectedly on August 6, 2021. She was preceded in death by her father Silas Massey, mother, Violet Jones, stepfather, James Jones, first husband, John Lowery, second husband, Paul Gadson and stepsister Elizabeth Frasier.  She leaves to mourn her memory: children; son Eric K. Lowery, daughters, Leslie A. Lowery and Sherrell D. Lowery McLaurin and son-in-law Hermeion J. McLaurin; siblings; sister, Sonja Massey Pierce and brother, Silas Massey both of Princeton, NJ; grandchildren, Darius R. McCracken (Reading, PA), Chenille D. McCracken (Atlanta, GA), James S McCracken (Reading, PA) and Tara N. McCracken Bowie (Atlanta, GA); cousin's Myrna Fuller (Atlanta, GA), Paula Manuel (Princeton, NJ), Dorothy Jean Astor (Wellford, SC) and Mary Louise Brown (Princeton NJ); as well as a host of nieces, nephews, great-grandchildren and many friends.