Shelby A. Stubbs

Shelby Jean Andrews Stubbs, age 75, passed away on December the 13, 2011 after a courageous three year battle with congestive heart failure. A native of Dooly County, Georgia, she was born on November 17, 1936, to the late James Ernest and Lois Spradley Andrews. Her great-great grandparents, John A. and Jane Abigail Pickern Andrews, were some of Dooly County's earliest settlers, moving here after having won a land lot in the Third District of Dooly County in the 1821 Land Lottery of the Creek Indian Lands. Shelby was predeceased by her two older sisters, Vera Andrews Fowler of Vienna, Georgia and Geraldine Andrews Little of Pulaski County, Georgia. Shelby was a proper Christian Southern Lady who exemplified grace, dignity, faithfulness and compassion; a loving wife, a nurturing mother and grandmother who loved her family supremely. Shelby was known throughout life for her warm and inviting personality. Her memory will be forever cherished by her loving and devoted husband of more than 53 years, LCDR W. Burton Stubbs, USNR (Ret.) of Vienna, Georgia; the lights of her life, a daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Richard Wright of Cordele, Georgia; a son and daughter-in-law, Dr. James and Joanne Stubbs of Alpharetta, Georgia; four granddaughters whom she considered to be truly "earth angels": a granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Alissa and Eric Wilkerson of Cordele, Georgia; three younger granddaughters, Isabella Stubbs, Stephanie Stubbs and Anna Stubbs of Alpharetta, Georgia; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. One niece, with whom she enjoyed a special closeness, was Carlene Fowler Penney, of Vienna, Georgia. Shelby was passionate about her Bible, her church, her family, and especially her grandchildren, whom she simply adored. Before her retirement, Shelby was a successful independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics for over twenty-five years. She was a productive team member of Judy Dunlap's "High Flying Eagles". After retirement she remained semi-active and kept many Mary Kay products available for her friends and relatives. She greatly enjoyed her association with the Christian-centered ethics of the company Mary Kay Ash founded. She loved meeting and knowing the people she met while an independent beauty consultant, and considered them good friends, not just customers. She also proudly served as a Pink Lady at the Dooly Medical Center in Vienna, GA. She truly never met a stranger. Shelby was a member of the Lake Blackshear Baptist Church of Cordele, Georgia, but to her dismay she could not attend recently as much as she desired due to her declining health. Her family is honored to have the following church family members to serve as pall bearers: Dr. Don Hays, Bucky Brookshier, Hunter Powell, Nick Nicent, Walter Bush and Dennis Ramsey. Her family would like to express their sincere gratitude to her cardiologists and staff at The Central Georgia Heart Center, particularly Dr. Carmine Oddis, MD; who saved her life more than once with his "magical" expertise in electrophysiology; her heart surgeon, Dr. Richard Harvey, MD; the wonderful nursing staff in the Cardiac ICU at the Medical Center of Central Georgia; especially the many exceptional doctors, nurses and technicians at the Luce Heart Institute in Macon Georgia; we also want to express our gratitude to Dr. Kevin Holloway and his wonderful staff; and the staff of Crisp Regional Hospice for their kind and compassionate care, especially her nurse, Cynthia Holt, RN and her aid, Lavetta Fields, CNA. The family also wants to express their deepest gratitude to her pastor, the Rev. Phil Streetman, and Leeza Streetman, for their many uplifting visits and prayers, and to her church family for all the calls, cards and prayer support. Funeral services will be held at Lake Blackshear Baptist Church at 3 PM on Saturday, December 17, 2011. Rev. Phil Streetman will officiate. Interment will follow in Vienna City Cemetery. The family will greet friends 1 – 2:30 PM Saturday, December 17 in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests that memorial donations be made to the Crisp Regional Hospice, 202 4th Avenue East, Cordele, GA 31015, or to the Georgia Baptist Children's Home, 9420 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, Georgia 31513. Brannen-NeSmith Funeral Home of Vienna has charge of arrangements.