Shepherd, Mary Echols
Mary Echols Shepherd, age 92, of Newport, Virginia, passed away on Monday, February 29, 2016. She was born on September 6, 1923, in Craig County, Virginia. Known as “Mary Gray” to her friends and neighbors in the Sinking Creek/Maywood communities of the County, she was a daughter of the late Edgar Logan and Ina Huffman Echols.
She was predeceased by her brothers, Robert and Charles Echols; her sisters, Elizabeth (Libby) Echols, Kate Saunders, and Frances Kauffman; her husband, Haynes Shepherd; and her step-daughter, Shirley Jones.
Mary was a loving mother to her daughter, Barbara, with whom she lived and shared many special times. She is also survived by a cousin, Peggy Crowder, of New Castle; Shirley’s husband George Jones of Salem; and all of Shirley and George’s children and their families of Salem to whom she was “Granny Mary”: Debbie and Andy Stratton and children, T.J. (Crystal) Stratton and Bailey and Lacey Stratton; and Lindsey (Ryan) Millard and Thomas, Ethan, and Claire Millard; Don and Yvette Jones (Jason Jones, Lee Jones and fiancée Lauren Eanes); David and Shirlann Jones (Whitney, Jordan and Caleb Jones); and Dennis and Mary Jones (Coraleigh and Landon Jones).
Mary also leaves behind a large group of very loyal friends and neighbors whose many, many acts of kindness will forever be appreciated. Much appreciation also goes to all who provided the wonderful care she received from the second floor at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, Blacksburg Heritage Hall/Villa I, and her team from Amedisys Home Health of Roanoke. A special thank-you also goes to Dr. Richard Shepherd, retired from the Carilion Blacksburg Clinic, for the loving care he provided for many years, and to his successor, Dr. Isaac Spence.
Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. at McCoy Funeral Home in Blacksburg, followed by burial in the Newport Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday evening from 5 until 8 p.m. For those wishing to make memorial gifts, kindly consider the Newport Volunteer Rescue Squad, whose dedicated members provided help on several occasions.