YVETTE SHAKER, 79, of 99 Second Street, Pittsfield, died Friday, July 21,
at Hillcrest Commons, where she had resided since February 28. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, December 3, 1926, the daughter of Antonio and Isma
Mary Cattan Jabbour, she was educated by French nuns in Beirut, Lebanon, schools, and
was a 1948 graduate of the American University of Beirut. From 1948 to 195l, she was employed as a teller for the Bank of Liban in Beirut.
It was there where she met her husband, Napoleon Shaker, who was working in Beirut,
for the year, sponsoring and working to rehabilitate a church and rectory where his
parents attended. She married Mr. Shaker in June 1951.From 1951 to 1959, Mrs. Shaker co-owned and operated the former Chapman Corner Variety on Holmes Road in Pittsfield. until her husband's death in September 1959, when she became primarily a homemaker to raise their two children. During that time, she attended night school and in November 1969, she proudly
earned her United States citizenship. She was able to converse in English, French, and
Arabic. Mrs. Shaker was a communicant of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and a
member of its Ladies Guild, and was also a member of the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center's
Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Mrs. Shaker was a 20-year member of the Berkshire
Medical Center Auxiliary during which she gave more than 12,000 volunteer hours. Her
primary responsibility was assembling 200-300 clinical staff charts each week. She also
worked on mailings and helped out with special projects. She received presidential
citations in 2004 and 2005 for her years of service. Mrs. Shaker is survived by a son, Michael J. Shaker of Colonie, New York, a
daughter, Mary A. Walsh of Dalton, and nine grandchildren.

FUNERAL NOTICE: A Liturgy of Christian Burial for YVETTE SHAKER, who died Friday, July 21,
will be celebrated in September (date and time to be announced) , at Our Lady of Mount
Carmel Church. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery in Great Barrington. There are no
calling hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mrs. Shaker may be made
to either Mount Carmel Church Ladies Guild or to Berkshire Medical Center Women's
Auxiliary, both in care of DERY FUNERAL HOME, 54 Bradford Street, Pittsfield.
Mrs. Shaker also leaves her daughter-in-law, Kathleen Shaker, her son-in-law,
William Walsh, and her nine grandchildren, William, Patrick, Kelly, Corey, Molly,
Timothy, Adam, Jared, and Nicholas.