Sis. Shirley Dorothy Valmae Roberts passed away in the early hours of Thursday morning 29 March, 2012 with her son and daughter Scott and Cherry and grand-daughter Micah by her side at the age of 83. She had endured the past 3 and a half year’s bed ridden from Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It was a true blessing to have her live at home in familiar surroundings with her family and pets. She had some wonderful carers come in to help the family who have stayed good friends of the family. She is survived by her children John, Paul, Cherylene, Paulene, Andrea, Scott and Regena, 9 grand children and 2 great grandchildren.
The funeral was held at home. This was a comfort for the family .This was where she had spent the last few years of her life and it was a fitting place for a final farewell from this world till Jesus’ return. Bro. Matthias Thiel kindly came down from Auckland to conduct the service and Sis Elizabeth Thiel and Sis Chantelle Nillsen supplied the music. The family wishes to thank them for their care and support. She was buried at the local cemetery in Patea. Family and friends spent that following evening staying up till the late hours sharing memories, laughs, and looking at photos of her life.
Shirley was born in Australia to Thomas and Maud Roberts in Wharoonga, Sydney on the 4th April 1928. She was an only child.
While attending Avondale College she met Reginald Bayne and they were married in 1950. Together they had seven children.
Life was busy for her right from the start. Her parents were an older couple so she looked after them while working and eventually starting her own family. Various things she did over the years consisted of her working as a VAD helper, governess in the outback, and working at the government stores, and then became a fulltime mother which continued on to bringing up some of her grandchildren.
There were many interests and hobbies that she had but her great loves were family, children, music – particularly Handel’s Messiah and the hymns ‘Glorious things of thee are spoken’ and ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’, flowers, and animals – especially cats. She had a strong faith which helped her cope through the rough times in life. This faith she passed on and shared with her family.
In 1964, Shirley moved to New Zealand with her husband and her four children and in the years to follow their other three children were born. The family remained in Auckland till the mid nineties then shifted to South Taranaki.
Shirley was baptized into the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement along with Sis. Judy Paul by Bro. Merv Southwell at Paraki pools in the early nineties.
She will be remembered for her loving nature, kindness and be dearly missed by her family and friends but we are comforted by the hope of been reunited again at the resurrection.
On behalf of Shirley, the Roberts/Bayne family want to say a big thank you to all who sent their condolences and to all those who supported us through the funeral. God bless you all.
—Submitted by Micah Bayne