“Loving Mother & Grandmother”

Shirley A. Poore, 88, of Rawson Road, Cuba, NY passed away at the Cuba Skilled Nursing Facility on October 24, 2023, with her daughters, Betsy and Debbie holding her hand until she reached for the hand of her Lord and Savior and entered into Heaven.  

The daughter of John and Mildred (Baker) Avery, Shirley was born in Bradford, PA on March 8, 1935.  She attended Rixford and Duke Center Elementary Schools, and was a 1953 graduate of Otto-Eldred Central School in Duke Center, PA. 

On January 11, 1957, in the Duke Center Methodist Church, she married Edwin A. Rambuski of Cuba, who predeceased her on December 5, 1992.  On September 30, 2000, she married Harley J. Poore of Cuba, who predeceased her on July 10, 2015.

When her children were young, Shirley was the neighborhood “Avon Lady,” making many lifelong friends in her door-to-door travels.  In 1969, she became employed as a food service worker at the Cuba Central School Cafeteria. In 1978, she was appointed Cafeteria Manager, and was dubbed, affectionately, by students as “The Lunch Lady.”  She held the position of manager until her retirement in June of 1998, after twenty-nine years at the school. She also held the office of President of the Allegany County Food Service Association for two years.

In her twenty-year tenure as Cafeteria Manager, she never let a child go hungry. If a student forgot his or her lunch money, she would let them charge their lunch, and bring the money the next day. She would often help a student buy ice cream.  If a student wanted to buy an icy treat, but was a few cents short, she would pay the difference out of her own pocket. Those students remembered her kindness into adulthood, greeting her with affection and reminiscing about the times she helped them out.

            Shirley was a devoted member of the Cuba United Methodist Church, joining the church in 1966. During her fifty-seven-year membership in the church, she was a member of the Church Alter Guild, the United Methodist Women Committee, and the Memorial Committee.

Shirley’s biggest joy was her family, and having her family together for special occasions, especially the annual family Christmas Eve gathering in her home, where many wonderful memories were made each year. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were her pride and joy. She took great pride in her home, where she had resided for sixty-four years. She enjoyed working in her flower gardens, scrapbooking, jigsaw puzzles, winters in Myrtle Beach, and trips to California to visit her son. She was a member of the Red Hat Society, and thoroughly enjoyed outings with her group.  Shirley was loved and adored by her many friends, and her family, and will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her three daughters, Elizabeth (Timothy) Resch of Cuba, Debra (Bradley) Thompson of Wellsville, and Kathy Rambuski of Andover; one son, Edwin J. Rambuski (Trina Baumsteiger), of Templeton, CA.  Three grandchildren, Gwen (Kendal) Karn of Cuba, Jason Dunlap (Jacqueline Swetland) of Cuba, and Edwin Hults of Belmont; six great-grandchildren, Chloe Karn, Clifford Karn, Cameron Dunlap, and Liam Dunlap, all of Cuba, Dominick Petruno of Buffalo, and Lydia and Ellie Hults of Belmont. She is also survived by three step-children, Randy (Sue) Poore, of Vermont, Rev. Michael (Jennifer) Poore, of South Carolina, and Tammy (Chris) Baker, of Allegany, as well as several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, four cousins, Sue Feldbauer and Dorothy Lendel, of Cuba, and Geradine Zetler of Bradford, PA, and Laura Wirtz of Eldred, PA, and two very close and dear friends, Elaine Damon and Ginger Mahon, of Cuba.

In addition to her parents and husbands, Shirley was predeceased by two granddaughters, Jennifer Lynn Dunlap, in 1988, and Laurie Ann Giddings, in 2005.

Friends are invited to call on Monday, October 30, 2023, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Letro McIntosh Spink Funeral Home, 24 Genesee Pkwy, Cuba, NY.  Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at 11:00 AM, at the Cuba United Methodist Church, 49 East Main Street, Cuba, NY, with Shirley’s step-son, Rev. Michael Poore officiating.  Burial will be in the Cuba Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at www.LetroMcIntoshSpinkFuneralHome.com.

Memorials may be made to the Cuba United Methodist Church, 49 E Main St, Cuba, NY 14727 or the Cuba Cemetery Association, 47 Medbury Ave, Cuba, NY 14727.