Shirley Craig Leather, 94, a resident of Brookdale East Side Assisted Living Facility in Fayetteville, NY, died peacefully on September 12, 2017.
Born in the town of Princetown, NY on January 27, 1923, she was the daughter of the late Duncan F. and Iva M. (Waldron) Craig. She was a 1940 graduate of Draper High School in Rotterdam, NY and a 1941 graduate of the Mildred Elley Business School in Albany, NY.
Mrs. Leather was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to her family. She worked as a secretary at the General Electric Company in Schenectady, NY during WWII. After raising her family, she was employed by the Pittsfield, MA School Department, retiring in 1991 after 24 years of service.
She was a member, for 45 years, of the First United Methodist Church in Pittsfield, MA serving on various fund raising committees. She was also a member of the Pittsfield, MA Retired School Secretaries Association, The Senior Center, The Greylock Quality Time Club, and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program where she volunteered for many local agencies such as Elder Services, Hillcrest Commons, United Way, and the Berkshire Museum. She was always ready and willing to serve when called upon.
Mrs. Leather is survived by three daughters, Debra Campana and her husband James of The Villages, FL, Delsey Leather-Kempf of N. Syracuse, NY, and her estranged daughter, Donna Tacy and son-in-law Charles of Lenox, MA; one granddaughter, Kayla Kempf; four grandsons, Darrell Campana and his wife Chandra, Derrick Campana and his wife Kelly, and Nathan and Sean Kempf; three great-grandsons, Benjamin, Coleman and Cameron Campana; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by two sisters, Thelma Craig Byrum and Beverly Craig Burns; and her former husbands, Donald Leather and Francis Zofrea.
A very special “thank-you” goes out to Dr. Craig and Kathy Byrum (nephew and niece) of Manlius, NY for all their selfless acts of attention and devotion to Mrs. Leather. Your kindness, caring, and helpfulness will always be remembered by her family.
At the request of Shirley Craig Leather, there will be no calling hours. Graveside services will be held at the convenience of the family at the family plot in Esperance Cemetery in Esperance, NY.