Shirley Sobotko (née Kushner), a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on November 4 at the age of 95. Her husband of 75 years, Phil, was by her side.

Born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, she raised her family in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn before retiring to Boynton Beach, Florida in 1997. In addition to serving for years as a literacy interventionist in the New York City Department of Education, Shirley spent many joyous summers at Circle Lodge and Camp Kinder Ring in Hopewell Junction, NY.

Shirley loved her family fiercely and with the utmost devotion. She was always there to lend an ear about the latest difficulty, celebrate the newest piece of good news, or simply confirm you were eating well. She felt your joys and disappointments with every ounce of her, and she could not be prevented from bragging about her loved ones—especially her grandchildren, whose accomplishments large and small alike were often shared with anyone who could listen.

Shirley was an excellent conversationalist; in fact, she was so talented that she could (and often would) perform both parts if her conversation partner was not up for the task. Her devoted husband would often quip that he hadn’t spoken to her in years, “because he did not want to interrupt her.”

She loved to brag about her loved ones. When you shared some good news with her, you could count on her working the phones until the bulletin had been shared with the entire Shirley network. She loved her childhood in Brooklyn, her evenings at the opera and the theatre in Manhattan, and her summers at Camp Kinder Ring. She loved smoked fish. She really loved giraffes, which always makes us smile. She loved stretching a single entrée into three meals. She loved tennis—especially her sweet Nadal, and the Williams sisters. She loved her soaps, and reading, and keeping up with the biggest stories both around the country and on the Royal Landings Circle.

Shirley Sobotko will be dearly missed by her loved ones including her husband of 75 years Phil Sobotko, sons Ira and David, grandsons Jeffrey and Brian (Emily), sister Elaine Cohen, nieces Laure Cohen, Ilene (Neil) Leibowitz, Riva Leibowitz, and beloved friends who were more like family, including the Posners and the Weir-Kahns. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother-in-law Stanley Cohen and her daughter-in-law Noreen.

May her memory be a long and lasting blessing for all who knew and loved her.

Shirley was laid to rest in a graveside service on Tuesday, November 8 at New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon, NY. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Shirley’s honor to the Make-a-Wish Hudson Valley. 

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