WAYNE, Shirley (Nestman)
Wayne, Shirley (Nestman), 95, passed away in Brookline, March 9th, 2024. She was the matriarch of her family. Born in the Bronx to Leon and Rose (Raubfogel), Shirley and her sister,
Ellie, grew up caring for their mother, afflicted with MS. Shirley was not only an excellent student but an avid reader and lover of history, graduating from City College with a degree in Business Administration. She married Nathan in 1951, a decorated WWII veteran.
She gave birth to Richard in 1952 and Gary in 1955. To give her children better educational opportunities, she moved her family to the suburbs of NJ, paving the way for them to succeed as professionals. Her sister and brother-in-law, Gene Natanblut, joined them, first in Maywood and then River Edge. The four remained close throughout their lives with an annual Thanksgiving celebration that was not to be missed. Contributing to her family both inside the home and out, Shirley worked at Fairleigh Dickinson U. and later at Medical Economics.
She and Nat traveled the world – a photograph of a favorite trip to Lake Louise memorialized on her nightstand for years. An animal lover, Shirley regaled guests with stories of her cat, Misty, and taking her grandkids to
Van Saun Park Zoo. Shirley was highly opinionated, chief among them being a lifelong Democrat, Turner Classic Movies was the only station on TV worth watching, and no matter how much you had eaten, you hadn’t eaten enough. After Nathan’s death, she relocated to Brookline to be near her children and grandchildren. For the last years, she was cared for by a wonderful team of caregivers who loved her dearly, Raxanne, Yvonne, Kim and later Patricia. She is survived by her sister, Elinor, children Richard and Corinne and Gary and Frances, grandchildren Alex (Laura), Harry (Nikki), Charlotte (Ross) and Juliet (Wes), David (Natalie), Aryeh (Allison), Rafi, Terrance (Claire) and great-grandchildren Sammy,
Nakai, Jonah, Ezra, Zarra, Lexi, Ayelet, Ava and Jacob. Funeral services are being held in New Jersey. For Shiva information, call Stanetsky Memorial Chapels – 617.232.9300.