Shirley May (Steere) Whitehead-Smith of Vineyard Haven died on Friday evening, April 10 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital after a brief illness. She was 78.

She was the wife of Philip A. Smith who predeceased her this past December, and Joseph Whitehead who predeceased her in August of 1977. They wintered in Gantt, Ala., for many years.

Shirley was born in Oak Bluffs on April 6, 1931, the oldest of 11 children of Jesse Steere and Florence Catherine Thurber Steere. She graduated from the Oak Bluffs High School in 1949. She grew up in an era before central heat and reliable electricity were widespread on the Island, and the family survived on farming. Attending the Agricultural Fair and returning with blue ribbons for gardening and canning delights was a yearly event.

After high school, Shirley was the assistant town clerk for the town of Oak Bluffs from 1951 until 1955, a job she thoroughly enjoyed. She then went to work as a bookkeeper for Brooks Carter at his hardware and electrical store on Main street Vineyard Haven. In 1973 she bought the business and renamed it Shirley’s True Value Hardware and moved behind where the A& P (now Stop & Shop) store was in 1984. All the while she was doing tax returns for Islanders.

She retired in 1992 and sold the business to her nephew Jesse Steere who now operates it on State Road in Vineyard Haven (and yes, Jesse’s still making keys).

Shirley enjoyed reading and doing crossword puzzles.

She was the loving sister of Gloria Steere of Oak Bluffs, Janet Packish and her husband George of Falmouth, Nancy Howes and her husband Richard of Dennis, Rosemary Finley and her husband Earl of Madison, Ala., David Steere and his wife Bonnie of West Tisbury and Stephen Steere and his wife Tami of Georgia. She was the stepmother of Kellie Gilbert and her husband Duane of Brockton, Holly Medas of Brockton, Stacey Stewart and her husband Kevin of Middleboro and James Smith of Brockton. She was a devoted aunt of numerous nephews and nieces and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Visiting hours were held at the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs on Tuesday morning. A graveside service followed in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Oak Bluffs, officiated by the Rev. Arlene Bodge.

Donations may be made in her memory to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Building Fund, P.O. Box 1477, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.