Edward Daniel Shirley

Edward Daniel Shirley, 67, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on October 9, 2024, following an 18-month battle with glioblastoma. He will be remembered for his incredible life, devotion to his family, business acumen, love of sports, many mixtapes and playlists, and most of all, his play-to-win attitude.

Ed was born in 1956 in Lynn, Massachusetts, and grew up in Salem. As a teenager, Ed connected with the Boys & Girls Club of Salem, which significantly impacted his life. He served as President in his twenties and remained a lifelong supporter. On the Salem Common, he developed a love of sports — especially basketball — and friendships that would last a lifetime. Ed and his buddies would shovel the ice and snow off the basketball court so they could play year-round; their devotion to the game knew no limits. Later, Ed was captain of Salem High School’s basketball team and played on the baseball team. Salem was noted for its competitive sports scene, and Ed also played on the famed Hoop, Inc. recreational basketball team. He brought his “play to win, don’t play not to lose” philosophy and competitive spirit to the court. In addition to his athletic prowess, Ed starred in plays and musicals showcasing his charisma, singing, and performing skills.

Ed graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in Business Administration in 1978. He was a constant fixture on the basketball courts, both in casual games with friends and as a walk-on member of the Junior Varsity team at the Division I powerhouse. During his UMass years, Ed continued to give back to his community and found time to work as an Assistant Basketball Coach at Salem High. Later, he became a staunch supporter of UMass Athletics and the Isenberg School of Management. In 2012, UMass presented Ed with a Distinguished Achievement Award for his contributions to the school and the business world, and in 2018, UMass honored Ed with the Isenberg Business Leadership Award, which recognizes alumni for their business success.

After college, Ed moved to Boston and began a long and distinguished career at Gillette. Here, he met the love of his life, Marge, on her first day of work in November 1978. They bonded over after-work drinks and pinball games at Triple O’s. In 1981, they married and later had three wonderful children: Kristen, Kaitlin, and Alex. Ed was a devoted and loving husband and father who prioritized being present for his family, whether attending a far-away basketball game, re-learning algebra to help with homework, or offering guidance on subjects big and small.

At Gillette, he quickly rose through the ranks thanks to his passion, dedication, eternal optimism, and many early mornings. As Ed always said, “Early is on time, on time is late.” He worked at Gillette in Boston, Oral-B in California, Braun in Germany, and Gillette in England before returning to headquarters in Boston. After Procter & Gamble acquired Gillette, he ultimately became the Vice Chair of Beauty and Grooming. Ed retired in 2011 at the age of 55; it was the first of several failed attempts at retirement.

The sunny shores of Bermuda soon beckoned, where Ed was the CEO of Bacardi. Even as CEO, Ed remained humble, saying he was just a simple salesman. In 2014, he “retired” again and he and Marge moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. But, he stayed active traveling and golfing around the world, as a director on several corporate boards, and through non-profit work. Ed served on the boards of Time Warner Cable, Elizabeth Arden, New York Life, and Sysco, where he was chairman. He enjoyed working with the UMass Foundation Board, the Dean of Isenberg School of Management, and the UMass Athletic Director to raise funds and promote UMass’s profile nationally. He also created the Edward D. Shirley ‘78 Professorship in Marketing and the Edward D. Shirley Scholarship.

Outside of his friends and family, one of Ed’s biggest passions was New England sports. In his twenties, he was a season ticket holder for the Boston Celtics, where he watched his idol Larry Bird win several NBA championships. One of his proudest moments was working on acquiring the naming rights to Gillette Stadium, where he was a loyal Patriots season ticket holder for 20 years. Wherever he was in the world, he loved to cheer on the Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox.

When Ed’s days of playing basketball were over, he channeled that passion into golf. He joined clubs worldwide, including Wentworth in England and Mid Ocean in Bermuda. He loved nothing more than playing a round with friends at Charles River Country Club and New Seabury Country Club in Massachusetts or Silverleaf in Scottsdale. He put his business mindset to work, too, serving as Treasurer at Charles River Country Club. Ed put in long hours at the driving range, in private lessons, and in his simulator to improve his game. He was thrilled to get his handicap as low as 6.2. On April 11, 2020, he shot a 73 — the best round of his life. As Ed would say, “That’s strong.” Playing with friends and traveling the world on epic golf trips, most notably St. Andrews Golf Club, the Charles River trips to Ireland, and a bucket-list trip to Augusta National.

In 2020, Ed became a grandfather affectionately known as Paw. His two grandchildren, Julian and James, were the light of his life. The boys both had a special smile reserved just for their Paw. He cherished every stage with them, whether feeding them bottles, singing them songs while they napped in his arms, helping them learn to walk in Arizona, or even how to hold a golf club. He was so proud to be a grandfather, always showing off pictures and telling stories about his little guys wherever he went. Ed had hoped to see the birth of his third grandson in November 2024.

Ed was diagnosed with glioblastoma in May 2023, and he took on this challenging disease with his signature optimism, grit, and play-to-win attitude throughout two brain surgeries, two bouts of radiation, and chemotherapy.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Shirley. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Marge Schneider; daughter, Kristen Shirley; daughter, Kaitlin Shirley, and husband Michael; son, Alex Shirley, and wife Tenley; brother, John Shirley; sister, Ann Bartkiewicz; and sister, Rosemary Shirley. Ed is also survived by his grandchildren, Julian and James Shirley.

Visiting hours will be on Thursday, October 24th from 4-7 p.m. at the Robert J. Lawler & Crosby Funeral Home 1803 Centre St. West Roxbury. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 25th at St. John the Evangelist Church 9 Glen Rd. Wellesley, (available Via livestream at www.sjspwellesley.org), followed by a celebration of life at Charles River Country Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, MA https://www.bgca.org/   and the National Brain Tumor Society https://braintumor.org Notes of condolences can be sent to Marge Schneider at 22 Liberty Drive, Unit 2F, Boston, MA 02210.