THOMASVILLE — The floral tributes and soothing musical prelude at First Baptist Church on Thursday night closely resembled a funeral, but the event was a celebration of Deanna Shirey’s life.

Shirey’s body was found late July 12 in a shallow grave — wrapped in a comforter from her home — behind the house of the man accused of killing her.

Church pastor Marty Carnes’ opening prayer spoke of Shirey’s untimely death and the reason for it: “Evil that pervades us.”

“The Lord is with us in times of tragedy,” Carnes told Shirey’s family members.

The 70-year-old Publix employee and her late husband, Lloyd Shirey, moved to Thomasville from South Florida in 2005 in an attempt to escape hurricanes.

“We cannot wrap our minds around the heinous crime that took her from us,” Shirey’s sister, Nancy Parnell, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, said in eulogizing her younger sibling, the third daughter born to the family.

“I was thrilled to have a baby sister and spent much of my time with here. I loved her. I spoiled her,” Parnell said

She recalled that Shirey once came home from her bakery job and said she had baked many loaves of bread that day.  A Band-Aid on her hand was missing. Bakery quality control stepped in an remedied the situation.

Shirey, Parnell said, “has been returned to the Giver.”

Parnell described how the community has reached out to Shirey’s family, which will always will be grateful for the kind gestures and for law enforcement’s efforts.

In presenting the musical part of the celebration, Andy Daughtry, First Baptist associate pastor of worship and media, said Shirey had chosen music for her funeral.

Those attending — about 300 local residents — sang “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace.”

Daughtry, pianist, and cellist Dr. Boyan Bonev delivered a moving rendition of “Ave Maria.” Deb Wentworth sang “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

Nick Abiusi, who is married to Shirey’s daughter, Paula, has been the Shirey family spokesman since she was declared missing in early July.

“Mom would be amazed at the love shown her in the past 18 days,” Abiusi said, adding that Shirey’s life was about love and family.

The community, Abiusi said, has cried and prayed with Shirey’s family and on Thursday night was present to celebrate her life with her loved ones. He said he did not have words to express the family’s gratefulness.

Abiusi pointed out tireless efforts by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in capturing the suspect in his mother-in-law’s death. Officers from the Thomasville regional office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Thomasville Police Department and Thomas County Sheriff’s Office sat together at the celebration event.

Shirey’s late husband’s ashes were kept at her Glenwood Drive home. His ashes and hers will be cast at sea off the coast of Gloucester, her hometown.

“She will always be with us in spirit,” Abiusi said.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820