Shirley Darby (Sparks) Goodale, 84, of Brockton, died peacefully in her sleep at her home Saturday after a battle with cancer. The only child of Lawrance Sparks and Esther (Neilson) Karlson, she was born in Brockton, attended Brockton public schools and graduated from Avon High School in 1952. She was the stepdaughter of Leroy Karlson. She lived in Avon until her marriage in 1952 to Calvin R. Goodale, when she moved to Brockton. Mrs. Goodale held many jobs over the course of her life, working as a home stitcher for a local shoe factory as well as at Asker's Bakery and K-Mart in Brockton's Campello section. She also taught cake decorating for Brockton Community Schools. Mrs. Goodale was an accomplished artist who loved oil painting, cake decorating, crocheting, cards and games, golf and reading. She also served as a Cub Scout den mother and traveled frequently to Florida. Mrs. Goodale loved her family and made her home the center of family life, cooking weekly Sunday breakfasts for her grown children and, ultimately, their spouses and children. "Words cannot describe how much my gramma meant to our family," said granddaughter Molly Goodale of Taunton. "She was thoughtful, kind, sweet and was the most loving woman on this planet." In addition to her husband Calvin, she is survived by four sons and their spouses: Eugene F. Goodale and Cynthia (White) Goodale of Brockton; Thomas E. Goodale and fiancé Jacquelyn Snow of Brockton; David A. Goodale and Beverly (Rawson) Goodale of Arundel, Maine; and William D. Goodale and Tammy (Wertz) Goodale of Middleborough. She is also survived by adopted son Timothy O'Donnell of Northampton and Oahu, Hawaii, and his spouse Kathryn Washburn; 12 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Following cremation, a Memorial Gathering will be held int the Russell & Pica Funeral Home, 165 Belmont St., (Rt. 123) Brockton on Sunday from 1:00-4:00PM followed by a prayer service at 4:00PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society at donate3.cancer.org.