Marie “RieRie” Harman Shirey, 80, of Asheville, NC, passed away on April 5, 2025, in her home surrounded with love from her family. Marie had faced numerous health challenges over the past decade, however none of them stopped her from spending time with friends and family, or cooking, baking, and sewing, true passions of hers. Born Cary Marie Harman to Fred and Cary Poe Harman (Shaw) on May 20th, 1944 in Kinston, NC, Marie had red hair and a personality to match. Marie and her older sister, Margaret Montague Harman (Cooper), were very close and shared many friends and made countless happy memories together. One of their greatest memories was of their double wedding when Fred walked down the aisle with a daughter/bride on each arm. Marie’s husband, Stewart “Jack” Shirey, was stationed on the US Marine Corps base, Camp Lejeune, in Jacksonville where the two had met at an officer’s party, the rest as they say, was history.

And what a history it was! Over the following decades the couple would live in both Texas and across North Carolina, travel extensively and raise their family. Marie is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Jack, and their two sons, Stewart H. Shirey and William F. Shirey, and their spouses Tracy Gill and Sophia Papadopoulos, respectively, along with three grandchildren, Lila Luper, Delia Shirey, and James Thompson-Shirey, as well as three great grandchildren, Liam, Kiara, and Holly Rose Luper; her sister Margaret Cooper, PhD, from Charlotte, NC; along with numerous cousins across Eastern NC. Marie graduated from UNC Greensboro (Women’s College at the time) with an associate’s in nursing,and went on to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Her nursing career brought many friendships and adventures, from being the first camp nurse at the NC Outward Bound School in 1967-68, to making home visits down dirt roads in rural Chatham County, NC in the 1970s-80s, and public health in Wake County, NC before shifting into private practice at the end of her career.

Always active, Marie loved to ride her bike as a girl and play golf with her father, go on hiking and camping trips with Jack and her boys, playing tennis and skiing with friends. Marie was a great entertainer, and she and Jack hosted many family holiday gatherings where her “mighty fine” rolls and desserts were overshadowed only by the love and TLC she poured into making them. She also loved to sew and delighted in making things for herself and others. She was so honored when her granddaughter Lila was christened in a dress she made especially for the occasion. Marie and Jack also loved to go to festivals and concerts, from the Jazz and Heritage Festival in NOLA to Merlefest in NC where they often volunteered.

Family was always important to Marie, she and Jack helped to host and launch a get together of her “Favorite Cousins”, or FCs for short, at their Good Vibrations house on Sunset Beach in 1988. Marie was lucky enough, and healthy enough, to make FC37 this past March and spend time with her dear cousins.

Marie leaves behind a legacy of caring for others, patients and colleagues, family, friends and strangers; an amazing recipe and pottery collection, and blazing trails for other women to follow. The world is a better place thanks to RieRie, she will be deeply and sadly missed. In lieu of flowers, gifts to the Sunset Beach Turtle Watch organization are encouraged. The service will be held at 11:00am Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Seaside United Methodist Church in Sunset Beach.