Mrs. Shirley A. (Swartwood) McNelis, 82, loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt of the Hudson section of Plains Township, passed into Eternal Life Sunday afternoon in the care of Celtic Healthcare Hospice inpatient unit at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre following a prolonged battle with breast cancer.

     Born April 28, 1935, in Wilkes-Barre, she was the only daughter of three children to the late George Francis and Frances D. (Pissott) Swartwood.

     Educated in the city schools, she was a member of the 1952 graduating class of the James M. Coughlin High School, Wilkes-Barre.

     A devout Catholic, Mrs. McNelis was a member of the Parish of Saint Andre Bessette, having previously been a communicant at the former Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, both of North Wilkes-Barre.

     She and her husband, Mr. John J. McNelis, celebrated 62 years of married life together this past June 4th.

     They were long time residents of the Mountain Top area and later Drexel Hill before their relocation to the Hudson section of Plains Township thirty years ago.

     Remembered as a loving caring woman who took pride in raising her three sons, she became guilty of later spoiling her grandchildren of whom she loved dearly.

     Mrs. McNelis was preceded in death by her father, George F. Swartwood in 1956, by an infant brother, Patrick, and most recently by her mother, Frances D. (Pissott) Swartwood on November 18, 2005.

     Left to mourn her passing in addtion to her beloved husband John at home are the couple's sons and their wives; Patrick McNelis and his wife Danette of Venice, FL; Michael McNelis and his wife Donna of Larksville and Kevin McNelis and his wife Renee of College Station, TX;  Grandchildren, including Matthew, Brian, Jonathan, Amy and Ian McNelis;  Brothers, George T. Swartwood and his wife Constance J. of Clark, NJ; Eugene J. Swartwood and his wife Carol A. of Wilkes-Barre; Several nieces, nehpews fellow congregation members and dear friends.

     Funeral services for Mrs. McNelis will be conducted on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. from the North Wilkes-Barre location of the John V. Morris Family Funeral Homes Inc., 625 North Main Street, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish of Saint Andre Bessette, 668 North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre.

     The Reverend Monsingor John J. Sempa, pastor of the Parish of Corpus Christi, West Pittston, and personal family friend,  will serve as celebrant and homilist.

     Interment with the Rite of Committal will follow in Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, 1594 South Main Street, Hanover Township.

     Relatives and friends may join Mr. McNelis and his family for visitation and remembrances Wednesday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

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