Obituary of Shirley May (Hanson) Russell

Shirley May Russell died at home, unexpectedly on Monday March 17 after 82 years of a life of strength, hardship, independence and humor. Of all things, she was most devoted to her family. Born in Plymouth, MA, she was the daughter of John and Dorothy Hanson and the oldest of their five children. Shirley was a brilliant woman, well ahead of her time. She graduated with a degree in Chemistry from Northeastern University in 1962, at a time and in a profession with few females. The first woman allowed on the naval submarine base in Connecticut, she analyzed the spent nuclear fuel from the early Polaris submarine program. She developed a technique to extract gold from the ocean (using her son and his diving buddies to plant probes in the ocean) which though successful, wasn’t economical. Shirley was a voracious and passionate reader of science, health and medicine, poetry, technology and politics, devouring them with pen and yellow marker ever at hand to call out important points. It was sometimes easier to read what hadn’t been marked. Email allowed her to share her finds with her family across the country as well as her own poetry and advice. She had a reputation for finding fun and unique Christmas gifts that usually elicited howls of laughter. Shirley considered herself an eccentric and proudly enjoyed wearing a cap with that name given to her by her son. This lovely and unique lady is survived by a grieving but grateful family that includes her son, John Russell and his wife Roberta and their daughter Katherine who she lived with for 22 years, her sister, Peach Mastropieri of St. Petersburg, FL, a brother, John Hanson and his wife Lois of Seminole, FL., and Plymouth, MA, and twin sisters, Joan Amos and her husband Philip of Arlington, VA and Jean Swenson and her husband Vern of Punta Gorda, FL and many nieces, nephews, and friends. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday at 10:00 AM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody to which relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Burial in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody. In recognition of Shirley’s wide range of interests, donations may be made in her name to a charity of your choice.