Founder Of ‘Born To Read’ Program Has Died

A New Brunswick woman known as a passionate champion of early childhood and family literacy has died.

Shirley Downey, a native of St. Stephen, passed away at her home on Tuesday, according to her obituary.

Downey launched the Born to Read New Brunswick program in St. Stephen in 1991, along with fellow IODE Heritage Chapter members.

The program, which provides a bag of books to every newborn child to promote early childhood literacy, later expanded across the province in 1997.

“Shirley was for many years a passionate champion of early childhood and family literacy,” said Born to Read NB in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“Her ever-enthusiastic, joyful advocacy for literacy was more than a cause for Shirley; it became a life mission based on her faith in the power of literacy and its ripple effect in enriching the lives of individuals, families and communities, starting at birth.”

After 20 years at the helm of the provincial program, Shirley retired as president in 2017 at the age of 81 in order to stay closer to home.

“Shirley Downey has left her mark. Every time a New Brunswick newborn receives a Born to Read or Le goût de lire bag, Shirley’s work continues,” said Born to Read NB.

Downey is survived by her husband of 63 years, Ken, who the organization said was “always quietly in the background, one of Born to Read’s most constant supporters.”

No visitation or funeral service will be held at this time.