Mould

As the sky fades from crimson to darkness, so passed the soul of Shirley Margaret Mould, on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Her goal was to become a centenarian and she reached the age of 100 on May 3 this year.

She was born at Butler Memorial Hospital, the daughter of the late John Maynard Baker and Mary Watson Baker. For the last two years, she was well cared for at Concordia at the Orchard.

Shirley graduated from Butler High School in 1944, when many of her classmates were going off to war. Having lived through the Great Depression, she knew how to make her money stretch and was fortunate enough to land her first job before graduation. She became the secretary for Dr. Frank Preston at Preston Laboratory in Meridian and fondly remembered the bond they shared because of their similar Scottish roots. Shirley would later become a good friend of his wife, Jane. She continued to work for him after her marriage to Dr. Richard Mould, until she became a mother.

As a young mother during a time when education did not include kindergarten, Shirley became involved in fostering a private kindergarten in Meridian and would help to get the kindergarten class added to the elementary school system.

As a giving, loving person, she wanted to volunteer and give back to the community. For many years, she walked the neighborhood soliciting for March of Dimes and healthy babies. But her real strength showed when she paired with Roberta Ruff to start the Symphony Half Note and Coda Shop. A consignment shop housed in Butler, it provided a way for people to earn money on clothes and crafts that they no longer needed. Shirley was responsible for finding the volunteers to work at the shop and covered many of the hours when others weren’t available. The proceeds went to supporting the Butler County Symphony Association when funds were needed. She was recognized as a Butler County Symphony Honoree on Oct. 3, 2019, for the more than 20,000 hours she contributed as a member of the board of directors and for her fundraising efforts through the Half Note Shop.

Shirley, always curious about her birthright and ancestry, discovered a few years ago that she was 98% Scottish and Irish. Fortunately, she was able to travel more than once to Scotland and visited her grandfather’s grave and met part of her family. A bagpiper was part of the celebration of both her 80th and 100th birthdays, with the traditional music of her heritage.

Widely traveled, Shirley visited many countries in her lifetime from the United Kingdom to France, Germany, Austria and Japan. She was fortunate to visit Alaska, California and many states in the eastern United States.

Though a quiet woman, Shirley was an eclectic person. For those who knew her well, she was an amazing crossword puzzle solver. She would frequently do the New York Times Sunday crossword in ink. And when it came to music and books, she enjoyed folk to classical music; murder mysteries to science fiction and fantasy; a lover of the books of Tolkien and the TV show, “Star Trek,” long before they were popular.

Shirley is survived by her son, S. Bruce Mould and his wife, Patricia (McCandless); daughter, Susan Morrow and her husband, Daniel; granddaughter, Laurie O’Rourke (John); grandsons, Joshua Mould, David Morrow, Nathan Mould and Jesse Mould. Cherishing her memory are her five great-grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her parents; brother, John M. Baker; sister, Amy Baker; son, David W. Mould; and grandson, William Morrow.

Twilight descends and the music of violin, harp and bagpipe fade the veil between the earthly realm and the heavenly one, welcoming Shirley after an incredible, long life.

MOULD — Friends and family of Shirley Margaret Mould, who died Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, will be received from 11 a.m. until funeral services begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St., Butler. Funeral services will be officiated by Ron McKissick.

Burial will follow at North Side Cemetery, 1002 N. Main St., Butler.

Memorial donations may be made to the Butler County Symphony Association, 259 S. Main St., Butler, PA 16001; or Friends of Preston Park, 290 S. Duffy Road, Butler, PA 16001.

If desired, online condolences may be sent to www.youngfuneralhomes.com.

Please sign the guest book at www.butlereagle.com.