COLUMBIA – Funeral services for Sonya Gay Shelley, 59, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, West Columbia Chapel. Inurnment will be held at a later date in Southland Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at the funeral home. The family requests that everyone attending the service dress casually. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Relief Fund, 1122 Lady St., Ste. 640, Columbia, SC 29201.
Sonya was born July 6, 1959 in Marion, SC, and passed away on Thursday, January 17, 2019. She was the daughter of Evelyn and Walter Palmer Martin. Sonya Gay Shelley was a woman with more love and patience than she knew what to do with. She was a second mother to many, being involved with Springdale Baptist Church teaching Sunday school and, later, as the owner of the Partner 4 Parents Daycare and Preschool she ran from home. Known as “Aunt Gay,” her kind heart and nurturing spirit allowed her to touch the lives of many. She attended Marion High School.
Sonya is predeceased by her son, Kyle Shelley; her daughter, Lindsey Shelley, and her husband, Stanley Shelley. Her surviving relatives include her son, Caleb Shelley; her two sisters, Angela Fullwood and Jill Smith (Charlie) and nephew, Jamie Smith.
