Obituary of Shirley (Koagel) Grayko

     Webster: Passed away peacefully on February 3, 2023 at the age of 96.

     Born on March 8, 1926, in Syracuse, NY, Shirley was a devoted mother of five and loving wife of John Grayko, Sr., who passed in 2004.  Shirley and John were married in 1947 and shared 57 years of marriage. They shared many wonderful and memorable years together taking ballroom, square dance and round dance lessons.  They were beautifully flawless on the dance floor together. 

     Shirley and John were very active snowbirds with a cottage on Oneida Lake and a home in Florida. Staying active was a priority, They boated, skied, played golf and enjoyed beautiful sunsets on the lakefront in the summer and biked, swam and played tennis in Florida during the winter. 

     Shirley loved her family, reveling in time spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Cooking was an expression of love for Shirley and she was especially known for her delicious apple pies, strawberry rhubarb pies and a variety of cookies. In her later years, Shirley excelled at playing Gin Rummy, a card game she also enjoyed playing growing up. 

     Shirley cared deeply for her family and was a very devoted and loving Mother. She is survived by her five children, John (Sharon) Grayko Sr., Sharon (Jim) Schmidl, Kathy (Chuck) Bodley, Cindy (Joseph) Accorso and Patty (Alejandro) Molina.

     Shirley was blessed with 11 grandchildren, John Grayko Jr., Brian Grayko, Scott Grayko, Sarah (Schmidl) Barker, David Schmidl, Christian Bodley, Cara (Accorso) Antonio, Joe Accorso, Melissa Accorso, Christina Accorso and Maya Molina.  Shirley was also blessed with 8 great grandchildren, Anna and Stella Grayko, Jayden Grayko, Owen and Nina Barker, Emelia and Logan Schmidl, and Cameron Antonio.

     A celebration of life ceremony will be held at a later date.