Mary Frances Smith Sheppard, 89, passed peacefully away on August 18th, 2024. She was Mary to her family in her hometown of Nashville, NC, Fran, to her friends in Virginia, and Mom/Ma/Mom Shep to her children and their friends. Her favorite title of all was Nana.
Nana was born in Nashville, NC, on April 21, 1935. She lived there being loved and doted on by her Mama, Papa and her 14 older brothers and sisters. As a young woman, she followed her sisters, Betty and Becola to the Tidewater area where she attended Hicks Academy of Beauty. She worked for several years as a hairdresser (or beauty operator as they were called at the time). While working there she met a young soldier in the army, She and Shep were married on February 1, 1958. Nana was put on this Earth to be our mom, and while raising her young family she mommed so hard! She loved having us and all of our friends around. The years with her children and grandchildren were the happiest of her life.
In 1987, she was promoted to her favorite role as grandmother Nana. She took great joy in her 8 grandchildren and helped us raise them to be the amazing humans they are today. She lived to meet 4 great-grandchildren, and we were truly blessed to have her for 89 years.
She was predeceased by her parents, Rufus Christopher and Ella Clee Smith, her 14 siblings, and Glen Marshall (Shep) Sheppard, her husband of 44 years.
She is survived by her 4 children, Angela Underhill (Tom), Tracie Sheppard (John), Shawn Sheppard (Emily) and Stuart Sheppard (Eko Setiyowati); grandchildren, Jessica Schirmer (Mike), Sarah Underhill, Dahne Hernandez (Carlos), Alex & Reece Sheppard, Isaac, Elias & Abram Sheppard; great-grandchildren Madison & Mason Schirmer and Owen & Mila Hernandez; and also a host of very special nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 pm, on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at Rosewood-Kellum Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 22, 2024 at Bayside Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Rosewood Memorial Park. You may offer condolences at www.kellumfuneralhome.com
A special thank you to her caregivers Asia Gregory and Cindy Pacquet who loved and cared for her as if she were their very own mother.
