Shirley D. Tallent
Shirley Dorothy Tallent died at her home in Plush Mills Senior Living in Wallingford on June 13, 2019. She was 91.
A longtime resident of Northampton, Massachusetts (1959-2013), she was born in Springfield, Mass., on July 6, 1927, the second of four children of Leah and Carl Rudman. Her sister, Ruth, and brothers, Seymour and Harold, predeceased her.
Shirley was an empathic person who was sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. She derived great pleasure from bringing together family and friends. As a young person, she was active in the Springfield Jewish community, and throughout her life she volunteered in various capacities, including as a teacher’s aide for the Northampton Public Schools. Following eyesight-restoring surgery, Shirley, in midlife, attended the University of Massachusetts, where she graduated with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. She subsequently worked as a mental health counselor and assistant director at Valley Programs/ServiceNet, a program specializing in the care of chronically mentally ill people.
In 2013, she moved to Pennsylvania to be close to family, where she was fortunate to be able to establish a network of new friends, and, among other things, pursue a lifelong interest in creating art. Her family is thankful to the extraordinary staffs of Plush Mills and Main Line Hospice for their loving care and friendship.
Shirley was predeceased, in 1994, by her husband, Norman, a psychologist at the Northampton VA Medical Center. She is survived by her son Marc and his husband David Barbour of New York City; her son Robert and his wife Marlene of Surry, Maine; and her daughter, Anne and her husband Boyd Hehn of Media. She is also survived by four granddaughters, Sara Tallent, Leah Tallent, Alexandra Hehn, and Madeleine Hehn.
A memorial gathering, and burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, will be planned for a later date. Contributions in Shirley’s memory may be made to the American Foundation for the Blind or to the Delaware County Literacy Council.
