Beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Shirley Anne Hudgins, age 68, of Roanoke, Va., died on Feb. 3, 2014 after a long, courageous battle with cancer at her home surrounded by her family.
Shirley was born in Norfolk, Va., on June 6, 1945, the daughter of the late Robert Benjamin Franklin Hudgins and Jean Skyles Hudgins. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Sylvia Hudgins Tullos, and father-in-law, William Sheppard Hudgins.
She is survived by her loving husband of 47 years, William Sheppard Hudgins Jr. of Roanoke; daughter, Jennifer Hudgins Tortone and husband Thomas of Chesapeake, Va.; son, Edward Christopher Hudgins and wife Christi of Jamestown, N.C.; and four grandchildren, Jackson Thomas Tortone, Madison Marie Hudgins, Taylor Grace Hudgins and Carson William Tortone. She is also survived by her mother-in-law, Elizabeth Boyd Hudgins of Mathews, Va., and by many friends.
Shirley graduated from Mathews High School in 1963 and Johnston-Willis Hospital School of Nursing in 1966. While her husband attended law school in Richmond, Va., she worked at Johnston-Willis Hospital. After relocating to Mathews in 1971 she worked as a nurse in a medical practice. In 1981, she moved to Roanoke, where she worked as a nurse in a skilled nursing facility. She taught water aerobics for more than 30 years and enjoyed cooking, sewing, and traveling. Her greatest love was being “Nana” to her “four little angels.”
She was a member of Central United Methodist Church, Mathews. The family would like to thank Dr. William Fintel and the Blue Ridge Cancer Staff for years of compassionate care as well as Good Samaritan Hospice.
Services will be held at Central United Methodist Church on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, at 2 p.m. The Rev. Suzanne Gibson will officiate with burial to follow in St. Paul Annex Cemetery, Susan, Va. The family will receive friends at Foster-Faulkner Funeral Home, Mathews, on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, from 7-8:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mathews Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 1130, Mathews, Va. 23109, to the Mathews Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 723, Mathews, Va. 23109, or to the Central United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 297, Mathews, Va. 23109.