Folsom Funeral Service

Shirley (Cooke) Oberacker, of Walpole, and formerly of Norwood, died Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at the Golden Living Center in Middleborough.  She was 86. Shirley was born August 21, 1924 in Hamburg, New Jersey, the only daughter of Elmer Peter Cooke and Caroline Irene Maxwell.  She grew up in Hamburg and graduated from Hamburg High School.  When her youngest son reached school age, Shirley took a job working as an elementary school secretary for the Norwood Public School system which led to her becoming the secretary to the Superintendant of Norwood’s Schools.  During this time she earned her real estate broker’s license and she spent several years selling property in Norwood and Westwood.  At 60 she decided to become a travel agent for Colpitts Travel Agency, a job that allowed her many travel incentives.  She traveled all over Europe, and especially to Greece, her favorite destination.  Shirley traveled to Europe several times, visiting friends in England and touring in Ireland and France.  She also had an interest in music.  She was the director of several shows for Norwood Hospital in the 1980’s and she also set up many events for the Sharon Country Club.  Shirley wrote  children’s plays that were published in PLAYS in 1991.  She also invented a children’s game, “Clean Up”, which was published in the 1980’s.   She was a former secretary of the Norwood Little League, and an active member of Grace Episcopal Church in Norwood where she served on the building committee.  Shirley was an avid golfer, playing at the Sharon Country Club in Sharon, MA until 2006, and playing with friends when she and her husband wintered in Florida; and a “more avid” grandmother.  Shirley also enjoyed playing cards.  She was the wife of the late Arthur W. Oberacker; the mother of the late Lawrence S. Oberacker; and the sister of the late John M. Cooke and the late Gerald Cooke.  Shirley is survived by her two sons, William T. Oberacker, and his wife Carol Ann, of Bethel, CT, and Wayne A. Oberacker of Wrentham; her daughter-in-law Sandra Oberacker of Middleboro; her brother Thomas I. Cooke of Newburyport; her grandchildren, Chad Oberacker, Jon Oberacker, David Oberacker, Marc Oberacker, Brian Oberacker, Kevin Oberacker, Kurt Oberacker, Brett Oberacker, Katie Beach, Jay Oberacker, and Meghan Ansalone; and her great grandchildren, Gretta, Finn, Max, Calvin, Tatiana, Kellen, Ella, Riley, Wesley, Asley, Dreya, and Machenzie.  Services and interment in Highland Cemetery will be private.  In lieu of flowers donations to Aseracare Hospice, 40 Washington Street, Suite 100, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 would be appreciated.

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