Desiree Shaffer was the cool aunt to her niece Justine Greenwood. As a young teenager, Justine would sometimes skip school to spend the day with her Aunt Desi, blasting Beyonce, watching The Ellen DeGeneres show and hanging out.
Desiree, who had memorable bright blue eyes, was the younger sister of Justine’s mother, Misty. At 14 years apart in age, Desiree and Justine confided in each other and valued the time they spent together.
But what she valued most of all were her five children. They were not in her care, but she loved each one fiercely.
Desiree chose to live her life differently from the rest of her family, and Justine describes her as street smart and strong. She and her family had drifted apart in recent years, but that didn’t change how they felt about her.
“We all still loved her and we all still cared for her, and we just wanted better for her. That was all,” Justine said. “She was still an aunt, a sister, a daughter, a mother. The talking terms we were on doesn’t define how much we loved her or our relationship with her.”
Tragically, on the afternoon of July 5, 2020, Desiree was shot and killed in the 1900 block of Clarence Street in Port Richmond. She was 37. A suspect was arrested a short time later and has been charged in connection with her murder.
“Desiree was a very loving and caring person,” Justine said. “She’d really do anything for anybody.”
Desiree was born Oct. 8, 1982 to Cindy Gorham and Thomas Grady and grew up in the Mayfair section of Northeast Philadelphia. She attended Ethan Allen School and graduated from Lincoln High School in 2001.
Outgoing and funny, Desiree loved attention. She enjoyed dancing — especially to her favorite song Irresistible by Beyoncé — and she’d be the one trying to get everyone to dance at social gatherings.
Desiree made friends easily. In fact, her bond with Justine was more like that of a best friend or an older sister, and Justine and her younger sister Dominique would jump at any chance to spend time with her.
Desiree and Justine
“She took care of us and loved us like her own,” Justine said. “She was beautiful on the inside and out, regardless of her mistakes.”
Desiree is laid to rest in Magnolia Cemetery in Tacony.
Date: 2020-07-05
Location: 1900 Clarence St, Philadelphia, PA
