Shirley Anne Dyson Greenleaf Brown
Shirley Anne Dyson Greenleaf Brown, age 97, passed away at home May 14, 2023.
Daughter of Lavington and Elsie Hill Dyson, she was born February 27, 1926, grew up in Salem, NH, attended Number-Nine school then was Valedictorian of her 1943 class at Woodbury High School. Graduated Plymouth Teachers College in 1947.
A member of the First United Methodist Church in Methuen, MA, she married Milton C. Greenleaf in 1946. She taught middle school in Hollis, NH and then taught mathematics at Merrimack High 1962-66 and Nashua High 1967-86.
They moved to Merrimack NH in the 1960s and Milton passed away in 1964. Mrs. Greenleaf was class advisor to Merrimack High’s class of 1965. Part of their yearbook was dedicated to him and the Milton C. Greenleaf Memorial Scholarship was created to help Merrimack High seniors continue their education. Donations can be made c/o Reagh Greenleaf, 29 Camp Sargent Rd., Merrimack NH 03054
In 1969 Shirley married Richard J. Brown and was active at St. James United Methodist Church. Later, while living in Nottingham, NH, she worked at Measured Progress (formerly Advanced Systems), an educational testing service in Dover, NH. She also volunteered at NHPTV TV auctions. In Nashua she worked at Greg & Sons, the Unemployment Office and Nashua Textiles. In 2017 she moved back to Merrimack where she lived until last year.
She has been recognized for her extensive volunteer work for many causes and organizations. She loved travel, was an avid reader, enjoyed the wonder of life and the splendor of nature.
Shirley was predeceased by her two husbands: Milton Greenleaf and Richard Brown; three siblings, Robert, Ronald and June (Trust), plus two of her children — Christopher and Donna.
She is survived by her son Daniel, his wife Diana, daughters: Deborah Bates, Wendy and Cynthia Greenleaf; six grandchildren: Meghan Greenleaf, Hilary, Timothy Hayden and Amira Grzywacz; and Evan and Raquel Bates.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to H.O.M.E., a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for low-income and homeless families, 90 School House Rd, Orland, ME 04472.
A viewing was taken place at Rivet Funeral Home, on Friday, May 19, in Merrimack NH.
Her funeral service was held on Saturday, May 20th at St. James United Methodist Church at 11:00 AM. Live stream recording will be available at stjames-umchurch.org and on the St. James United Methodist Church YouTube Channel. Shirley’s final resting place is located at Last Rest Cemetery in Merrimack, NH.