Shirley Glidden Splaine, 99, died in her home on Dec. 4, 2024, following a period of declining health.  She was born in Plymouth on Oct. 22, 1925, the daughter of Lawson W. and Pauline E. (Teague) Glidden.

Shirley was raised in Ashland, and while growing up she showed and cared for her Morgan horses. She was a competitive figure skater and attended Walnut Hill School in Wellesley, Mass. She went on to Colby Sawyer Junior College. While working for Northeast Airlines, she met Edward Splaine, and they were married in 1946.

Shirley and Ed lived and raised their family in Cotswolds, England, Atlanta, Ga., and Wenham, Mass. While in Massachusetts, she was a member of the Church Chorus and managed the Junior Chorus. Shirley and Ed retired in 1983 to Center Harbor, N.H.  

Shirley was an avid gardener. She worked as a horticulturist, propagating begonias at Northeastern University in Boston. In 1985, Shirley established the Ashland Garden Club and was club president.

In 2004, Shirley received her Master Gardener Certification from the University of New Hampshire’s Master Gardener Program. She was a member of Britain's Royal Horticultural Society, the Atlanta Garden Club, the Georgia Herb Society, the Hamilton-Wenham Garden Club, the Key Largo Garden Club, the New Hampshire Herb Society, the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs, and the National Federation of Garden Clubs, receiving the Silver Seal Award, Life Membership Award, and won many blue ribbons for flower arranging and horticulture. As a Master Gardener, she was a member of the UNH Belknap County Master Gardeners Group. While in Center Harbor, she worked to hybridize Named Variety Daylilies.

Shirley was the Chairman of the Board of the Pauline E. Glidden Toy Museum in Ashland, instrumental in the establishment of the Got Lunch program in Ashland, and was a member of the British Cars of New Hampshire, traveling in her little red MG, “Maggie.”

She was a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, serving on the Altar Guild and as a Junior Warden. In addition, she was the church secretary for the Episcopal Church Women. Shirley also established the Memorial Garden at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.  Shirley was an active member of her Community, serving in so many ways!

She was predeceased by her parents, a sister, Joan Moulton, and brothers John Glidden and Lawson Glidden.

Shirley is survived by her daughter, Nancy Westland, and husband Steven, of Hill, N.H; son Jay Splaine of Kingston, N.H.; a grandson, David Guyotte, and wife Kassi of Holderness; a granddaughter, Joan G. Riedel, of Boxford, Mass., grandsons Troy, Jerry, and Chad Splaine; great grandchildren Gavin Guyotte, Henry and Edward Riedel, and several nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Highland Street, in Ashland on Friday, June 27, 2025 at 10:00am.

Memorial donations may be made to The Shirley Splaine Horticulturist Scholarship Award, PO Box 424, Ashland, NH 03217.  Dupuis Funeral Home is handling the arrangements, for more info go to Dupuisfuneralhome.com.