Retta Jean Stanley Pace Sheppard

She was born Sept. 30, 1929, in Laurel Fork, Virginia, the daughter of the late Walter Conner and Lizzie Scott Stanley. She was a graduate of Martinsville (Virginia) High School and Perry Business School. She was employed by Gravely Furniture Company of Ridgeway, Virginia for 15 years. She enjoyed cooking, growing flowers and gardening.

Retta was a long time member of the First Baptist Church of Ridgeway. She was active in the church and did volunteer work for Hospice, Red Cross, and with the Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Team. In 1979 she served as Worthy Matron of the Martinsville Chapter 66 of the Order of the Eastern Star. Since 2006 she was a member of North Parkersburg Baptist Church, where she worked as a volunteer at the Friendship Kitchen.

She is survived by a sister, Iva Whitlow Burnette of Martinsville; a brother, Lowell Robert Stanley (Bitsy) of Laurel Fork; two sons, John Edward Pace III (Carolyn) of Parkersburg, and Philip Stanley Pace (Claire) of Sumter, South Carolina; step-son Richard Edwin Sheppard Jr. (Becky) of Ridgeway; two step-daughters, Marian Leah Sheppard and Elizabeth (Susie) Allison, both of Richmond Virginia; four grandchildren, Brian Pace, Kimberly Baucom, Timothy Pace and Christopher Pace; six step-grandchildren, Mark Rowitz, Leah Pierce, Richard Riddle, Karen Riddle, Leah St. Claire, and Elizabeth Motley; eight great grandchildren and eleven step-great grandchildren.

Retta was preceded in death by her first husband, John Edward Pace Jr.; and by her second husband, Richard Edwin Sheppard Sr. She was also preceded in death by two sisters, Audra Evelyn Stanley and Reba Baker Stanley; a brother, Maston Scott Stanley; a step-daughter, Jane Lynn Rowitz; and a step-grandson, Derek Rorrer.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Ridgeway, with burial in Mountain View Cemetery immediately following the service. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. immediately preceding the service. Arrangements are being handled by Collins-McKee-Stone Funeral Home of Martinsville.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, Ridgeway, Virginia; or to the Friendship Kitchen, North Parkersburg Baptist Church, Parkersburg, West Virginia.