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Celebrating the life of Shirley Lomax Green
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Obituary for Shirley Lomax Green
A Celebration of Shirley's life will occur on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at:
Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy 6900 Stenton Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19150
Service is PRIVATE
Interment: PRIVATE
We request family and friends who prefer to send plants or flowers, to coordinate with one of the following reliable local florists:..
Have the florist deliver your selection to the church no later than 8:30 a.m. the day of the service.
DUE TO A GLITCH IN OUR SYSTEM PLEASE DISREGARD THE FOLLOWING NOTATION REGARDING ANY ORDERS INCLUDING FLOWERS, CANDLES OR MEMORIAL TREE PLANTINGS WITH THE TRIBUTE STORE!!!! THANK YOU!!
Life Story
Shirley Lomax Green died peacefully February 16, 2022, at Parkland Manor in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Shirley’s given name was Daisy Eva Lomax, and she was born on April 3, 1935, in Chattaroy, West Virginia. She was the youngest of five children to Percy and Mary Dillard Lomax. Her brothers and sisters were Joseph, Mary, William, and Rachel. When she was a young child, the family moved to Philadelphia and opened a corner store which they owned into the early 1970s.
“Shirley” was a nickname given to her because of her short curly hair, like that of child star of the 1930s, Shirley Temple. In fact, she did not know her real name was Daisy until she went to school. Shirley graduated from Kensington High School in 1953 and went on to attend Howard University. It was there that she met Franklin D Green. They married in 1956 and settled in Washington, DC as her husband pursued his law degree. In 1964 he accepted a transfer to her hometown and moved back to Philadelphia in 1964. Two years later their son, Franklin D Green, Jr. was born.
While her son was young, Shirley stayed home to raise him, but she also was an active volunteer for numerous charities. Of particular interest was helping abused children through the Child Abuse Prevention Effort (CAPE). As many roles in social work required a college degree, she was inspired to return to college. Taking classes at night, in 1983 she received her Bachelor of Arts in social work from Antioch University. With her degree, she began her 17-year career as a social worker for the City of Philadelphia, retiring in 2004.
After retiring, Shirley remained active. Among other activities, she enjoyed cruises and mahjong with friends. She was also very active with numerous local organizations. A life-long lover of music (she played the piano) and the arts, she was a significant contributor to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Friends Select School, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, among countless others.
After suffering a stroke 2 year ago, she moved to Allentown to be closer to her son’s family, but her love of Philadelphia never waned. She was sure to watch the Thanksgiving Day and Mummer’s parades and participated in church services via Zoom as much as she could. Shirley is survived by her son Franklin D. Green, Jr., granddaughter Meredith Daisy Green, daughter-in- law Valerie Green, sister-in-law Florence Green, and nieces, nephews, cousins, and beloved friends. Due to covid restrictions, the in-person funeral service and burial will be private. However, the service will be lived streamed. As details become available, they will be posted on the Wood Funeral Home website - https://www.cwoodfh.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, or Howard University.
