Virginia Fay Newman Shockley met her Lord and heavenly family on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, in New Braunfels, Texas, after 90 years of a full life. Virginia Faye (she added the “e” as a teenager) was born December 20, 1933, to Otto Alonzo Newman and Novella Melissa Beachamp, as the sixth of eight children and being the sixth of seven girls.
Having grown up in the country around Somerset, Texas, where her father trained horses and drove the school bus, Virginia, or Faye as most called her, enjoyed telling of the adventures she had with her siblings, particularly Gerry, the only boy, who, close to her in age, was her cohort in adventures. In one story, Faye was told to make sure her little brother did not get into any fights with other boys on the school bus. Evidently, there had been a problem. So, when a boy started a fight with her brother, she held her brother, keeping him from fighting as promised. Unfortunately, it facilitated her brother being beaten up. She laughs later at it and said it took a while for her brother to forgive her! Having several siblings was a blessing for Faye as her parents passed while she was young. One of her siblings, Joline, took upon herself to have her siblings live with her from time to time. Faye never forgot that feeling of family created and carried that with her her entire life.
Faye found her lifelong love at an early age, and sustained that love for the next 73 years. She followed her love through move after move and long periods of absence while he served in wars and committed to TDY assignments; she reestablished the home fires over and over, ran the household, ran four children to every function needed, sewed the clothes herself, and cooked every meal from scratch. (As her oldest, my first memory of fast food was Dairy Queen at age 16). Faye also served.
After their service to the country, Faye and her husband, Harold Joseph Shockley, found just the spot they wanted to spend the next 50 years, Lamkin, Texas. Faye experienced some of the country life she grew up with, as did her husband. This became the final home to nest. Many, many stories grew from that nest. The grandchildren swam, hunted Easter eggs, had truck rides, and got into trouble. One involved the 5 year old granddaughter deciding the bull was too mean (he was) and he needed a kiss. As the granddaughter approached the bull, the fastest grandfather alive curtailed that adventure, but not before she got that kiss!
Being the best mother on the planet was important to Faye. This was usually a good thing - but the Mama Bear could be fierce. One did not forget a run-in with Faye defending a child! She loved with her whole heart and handled every emergency with the kids - who ran through glass, were burned by open heaters and bitten by every wild animal (my sister was an animal lover). Faye got the family to church on Sundays, taught them to say “yes, ma’am and no ma’am”, and made them study while she made herself finish high school. Her son, Jonathan, recalls Faye taking him to fish on Mother’s Day, an irony he learned to appreciate later in life.
Determined to be the best example and to keep pace with her husband, she finished her Bachelors and Masters in Spanish, graduated from Tarleton University and taught school in Comanche. Faye loved her work as one of the migrant teachers for children with English as a second language. She glowed when she spoke about her work with the children.
Faye also had huge heartaches to endure. She lost her older son and a granddaughter. Her heart was broken. Straightening her backbone each time, she rose to continue on, raising two of her grandchildren who delighted her as her own children. She put every bit the same energy into parenting those two children into adulthood. They were hers.
Life was a challenge that Virginia Faye Newman Shockley rose to meet. And, Faye is deeply loved for all that she accomplished and the love she created. She will be sorely missed. Preceeding Faye in death is her beloved husband of 73 years, Harold Joseph Shockley, their son, Harold Bruce Shockley, their granddaughter, Jennifer Jo Lee, her sisters - Snookie Standard, Bobbie Homesley, Janice Woodruff, Joline Parchman, and Connie Guentzel - and her brother, Gerry Burnet. Faye is survived by her sister, B.J. Green, by her children, Sheila Jo Lee, Pamela Joy Loneman, Jonathan Joseph Shockley, her grandchildren who were raised as children, Jerrie D. Mossom and Jonathan Joseph Shockley, Jr. and her beloved grandchildren, Shannon Leah McNett, Joseph Jason Lee, Owen Franklin McNett, David Eric McNett, and twelve beloved great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 10 am-12 noon at the Riley Funeral Home at 402 West Main, Hamilton, TX 76531. Services will be on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 2:00 pm at the Lamkin Church, Lamkin, TX.
