Shirley Drayton, age 79 passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on February 21st 2015 at Oakwood Village in Madison, WI. Shirley was born on February 19th, 1936 in New Britain, Connecticut to Bertha and Sten Larson. Shirley graduated from Senior High School in 1954 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Upsala College and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Smith College. Shirley was married to 1965 to Dr. Robert Michael Drayton, with whom she had two children, Robert and Jessica, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Shirley pursued her two careers, one in social work one in real estate. She worked first in Philadelphia and later in Madison, Wisconsin where she settled to be closer to her daughter’s family. Shirley was an active Unitarian Universalist both in Philadelphia and Madison and served on many committees. She volunteered for many organizations that supported the arts and social justice issues. She loved to travel and was a devoted mother and grandmother. Her warm and gentle personality won her many friends and she was an integral part of a tightly knit women’s group that took annual trips to Nantucket for many years. Shirley touched the hearts of all of her friends and family and will be greatly missed. Shirley is survived by her daughter Jessica Drayton Cioci, of Belleville WI, son-in-law John Cioci, grandsons Jack Cioci (18) and William Cioci (15); Also, her son Robert Dreyfus, who is living in Newport Beach, California with Shirley Avila where they are raising her children, Abel Gonzalez (19) and Skylynn Gonzalez (12); Also, her two nieces Lindsay (Smith) and Sarah (Peet) and her sister Linda (Peet). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.
