Shirley Webb

BARRE – Shirley Webb, 98, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 16, 2021, at Barre Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation.

Born August 28, 1922, in Fair Haven, she was the daughter of Gordon and Marie Havens. She graduated from Fair Haven High School in 1940.

In her early 20s, Shirley married Harold Magwire. Together they had two sons Thomas and Michael Magwire.  They later divorced.  In 1978, Shirley married Fred Webb. Together they moved to Donahue Road in Graniteville in 1989, where she resided until 2019.

Shirley attended the Sheldon Beauty Academy and opened her own salon in Burlington, which she operated into her 60’s.  Then in her early 70’s, she began teaching cosmetology at the Riverbend Career and Technical Center and later accepted a position at the JC Penney Salon in Berlin, where she worked for several years.  Former students describe Shirley as humorous and light-hearted, but strict when necessary. She entrusted in her students the importance of maintaining professionalism, courtesy, and customer service while striving for excellence. Despite the generational change in hairstyles, Shirley enjoyed teaching finger curls and pin curls. By incorporating older techniques into modern cosmetology education, she emphasized her passion and intention to preserve the industry’s history. She eventually retired from teaching, keeping her   position as a stylist at JC Penney Salon until her early 80’s.  Shirley truly had a passion for beautiful hair, maintaining and braiding her own long and healthy hair the entire length of her back well into her 80’s.

In her spare time, Shirley enjoyed animals - especially the many dogs and cats that accompanied her throughout her life.   She discovered a passion for acrylic and folk-art painting, creating beautiful landscapes on canvas and delicate designs on various pieces of decorative woodwork.  Nearly every wall in Shirley’s home was ornamented with her own canvas paintings. Throughout her life, Shirley developed close relationships with her grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with their children as she gracefully aged into her 90’s, even meeting her first great-great-grandchild.  She also enjoyed cooking and often shared her recipes with her grandchildren. Shirley will be remembered for her independence, spunk, contagious laughter, intelligence, and ability to reinvent herself in times of adversity.

Survivors include her sons Thomas Magwire and his wife, Melanie of Graniteville, VT, and Michael Magwire of Lisbon, NH, three grandchildren, Darin Magwire of Vermont, Cynthia Fitzgerald of Colorado, and Michael Magwire, II of Iowa: six great-grandchildren Lauren McKinstry, Stephen McKinstry, Dylan Magwire, Alayna Badeau, Abigail Magwire, and Kendal Magwire, and two great-great-grandsons Karsen Gilbert and Canaan Moscova.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother John, her sister Norma, and her granddaughter, Beth McKinstry.

The service to honor and celebrate her life will be held on Friday, September 17, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. at the Hooker Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy Street, Barre.