Obituary of Shirley M LaBrie

Shirley M (Berry) LaBrie, 85, of Peabody, died on Tuesday December 29 at Salem Hospital following a brief illness. She was the loving wife of Arthur F LaBrie; the couple would have celebrated 70 years of marriage on January 6, 2021. Born in Salem, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Mabel (Drake) Berry. She was raised and educated in Salem and upon her marriage to Arthur, has spent the last 69 years living in Peabody. Shirley dedicated herself to her family and community, in addition to raising her 4 children she devoted her working life aiding the many charities her and Arthur supported. Shirley and Arthur “the LaBrie family” were known for their “Santa’s Castle and Christmas lights” home attraction in Peabody, an annual event held during the Christmas season. With its enormous local popularity, their Christmas lights display moved to the Stone Zoo in Stoneham. Shirley was constantly searching for ideas and displays to add to the magical experience her and Arthur recreated each year. The LaBrie’s Christmas display started out of their love for Christmas and quickly became a way to give back to their community. The monies collected from the wishing well and fountain found outside their home were donated to local charities including Haven from Hunger in Peabody, abused infants and toddlers of Greg House in Lynn, and to the Dana Farber Cancer institute. Shirley worked closely with children battling illness and was a devoted supporter of children’s wellness and education. Besides her loving husband, Shirley is survived by her two sons, Paul M LaBrie of Peabody and Michael and his wife Debbie LaBrie of Beverly, her two daughters, Joy Taylor of Beverly and Linda Hassapis of North Reading, and is also survived by her 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Due to the Coronavirus, all services will be held privately. To honor Shirley’s memory and life’s work, a College Scholarship Fund has been created in her name. This Scholarship will benefit a student studying in the field of Education each year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: ECCF/ Skip and Shirley LaBrie Scholarship Fund 175 Andover St, Suite 101 Danvers, MA 01923.