It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Shirley Mazza-Dewey, 88, of Raleigh, NC, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, after her struggle with dementia.

A native of Baltimore, MD, she was born on July 24, 1935, the only child to the late Catharine Mildred Gough and Edgar Milton Wolf. Shirley always considered Baltimore her home. She grew up there, living in her grandparents’ house with her mother, after her parents divorced when she was very young. After her mother’s early death, Shirley married an Air Force officer, living in several states and having three children, before settling in Hawaii after his retirement.

Shirley attended The University of Hawaii, while her three children attended school. She graduated in 1973, with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, volunteering for the Suicide and Crises Center afterwards. Homesick for Baltimore, her family moved back to Maryland in 1976, but her marriage did not survive. She began working for Mercantile Bank and Trust, in Baltimore. There she met her second husband, Allen Dewey. They spent many happy years together, frequenting their favorite spot, Nantucket, when possible. In 1979, she began working at T. Rowe Price, where she worked in Special Accounts and Financial Institution Services for over 15 years. She retired to help care for Allen, who preceded her in death.

Shirley loved music and the arts and continued her education at the Maryland Institute of Arts. She was an avid reader, knitter, and needlepointer. She inspired her daughter, Lori, to open her own needlepoint shop, Waste Knot Needlepoint, in Arlington, VA. Shirley also loved children. She was a devoted grandmother, creating lasting memories through special visits and generous trips.

Never a wallflower, Shirley had a vibrant personality. She was always well-dressed, had a quick wit, a great sense of humor, and loved to tell a good “Shirley” story. Despite dementia’s toll on her amazing memory and ability to tell stories, her vivacious spirit endured, as she continued to laugh and enthusiastically embrace those closest to her.

Shirley is survived by her daughter Sherri Gibbon and husband, Steven, of Cary, NC; her daughter Lori Mazza of Falls Church, VA; her son Scott Mazza of Littleton, NC; and her grandchildren Matthew and Mackenzie Gibbon of Cary, NC. She is also survived by her step-children, Joel Dewey, Ariel Harper Nave, and Elizabeth Dewey; and her step-grandchildren, Samuel and Sarah Dewey, Alex Harper, and Ben and Parick Harper-Aucoin.

Shirley will be buried next to her husband in Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, MD. A memorial service will be held nearby at an undetermined date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in her name to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org), or to “The Cypress Employee Appreciation Fund”, 8801 Cypress Lakes Drive, Raleigh, NC, 27615, for the employees at the Rosewood Health Center, who took such good care of her in her last few years.