Shirley A. (Almeida) Dunbar, 90, passed away peacefully in her home on Thursday, January 15, 2026. She was the wife of Leslie F. Dunbar for 68 years before her passing.

Born in Fall River, MA, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Georgiana (Sousa) Almeida.

Shirley was a lifelong communicant of St. Mary’s Church in Bristol where she was a Catechism teacher for many years. Shirley had a lifelong love of the ocean and found great peace walking the shoreline, collecting sea glass, and listening to the waves. Whether sketching, meticulously tending to her garden, or enjoying a bike ride, she found beauty in life’s simplest moments. Shirley kept a perennial garden that bloomed in perfect rhythm with the seasons, each flower appearing just when it was meant to. Shirley loved to read with her hot cup of tea in hand. Her homemade chocolate cake – fondly known to her family as “Nana’s chocolate cake” – was a tradition filled with warmth and love. Shirley spent much of her life caring for others. As a devoted nanny, her heart knew no distinction; every child she cared for was loved as her own.

Above all, Shirley was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, and friend to many. She had a kind spirit, a warm smile, and a quick wit like no other. Her love was steady and unconditional, and she leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, and selfless care that will continue to live on in the many lives she touched.

In addition to her husband Leslie, Shirley is survived by her children: Stacy L. Matrone (Nicholas) and Les C. Dunbar (Marsha); her grandchildren: Donald J. Spellman, Karl Spellman, Nicholas Matrone (Michelle), Jessica Rizzo (Louis), Matthew Matrone, Danielle Dunbar; her three great grandchildren; and her siblings: Joseph and Richard Almeida.

She was pre-deceased by her daughter: Laurie A. (Dunbar) Spellman; her parents: Joseph and Georgiana Almeida; and her siblings: Lenore Soares and Robert Almeida.

Shirley now rests peacefully, reunited with her beloved daughter Laurie, surrounded by the love she so freely gave during her lifetime.

Visiting Hours will be held at Sansone Funeral Home, 192 Wood Street, Bristol on Thursday, January 22, 2026 from 4-7 PM. Her funeral will start from Sansone Funeral Home on Friday, January 23, 2026 at 9AM with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM at St. Mary’s Church, 330 State Street, Bristol. She will be laid to rest at North Burial Ground, Hope Street, Bristol. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her and her late daughter Laurie’s name can be made to the American Cancer Society.