Shelby Hodge Smith, 83, of Salem, died on Tuesday September 21, after a long illness. The family received friends at John M. Oakey and Son in Salem on Thursday, September 23, from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. A memorial service was held on Friday, September 24, at 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Salem, followed by interment at Sherwood Memorial Park.
Shelby was born on May 4, 1938, in Hinton, West Virginia, the daughter of Ernest W. Hodge, and Wanda Hartwell Hodge. She attended and was a cheerleader at Talcott High School in Talcott, West Virginia. Shelby soon moved to Salem and worked for several local businesses, including Newberry’s, ITT, Poly Scientific, Powell Pharmacy and General Electric before joining her husband at their family business Smith and Company Accounting. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Salem where she volunteered regularly and served on the Board of Trustees.
Raised in West Virginia, Shelby grew up without indoor plumbing or electricity. She earned a GED after getting married before she completed high school. These early struggles made her extremely proud of her later successes in life, including the accounting business she built with her husband and sending all her children to college and on to successful careers of their own. She was most proud of the family she built and doted on her grandchildren who were her greatest joy.
In addition to her parents, Shelby was predeceased by husbands Robert “Bob” F. Smith and Steve Galanes, sisters Janie Jeffries of Salem, JoAnne Hopkins of Clifton Forge, Jackie Dooley of Roanoke, and her brother Robert Hodge of Ironto, Virginia.
Shelby is survived by her devoted children: daughter Kay Mook and son‐in‐law Rex Mook of Salem; son Richard Smith and friend Danielle Whitmire of Salem; daughter Jennifer Shail and son‐in‐law Todd Shail of Dalton, Georgia, and daughter Robyn Ellis and son‐in‐law David Ellis of Salem. She is also survived by her beloved grandchildren, Alisa Burns and her husband Chris Burns, Emily Mook, Madison Smith and his wife Casey Smith, Devon Smith and his wife Sierra Smith, Audrey Lewis, Rose Ellis, Charlie Lewis, Henry Ellis, and Jack Ellis, and great‐grandchildren Camden Burns, Violet Burns, and Emmaline Smith.
She is survived by her brother Jerry Hodge and sister‐in‐law Sandra Hodge of Forest, and brother‐in‐law Ronnie Dooley of Roanoke. Shelby also had many special nieces and nephews and played a significant role in bringing joy to their lives.
Shelby’s family is grateful for the care and attention of the staff at Hermitage Roanoke, and several caregivers who tended her in the last year of her life, including Lisa Conner, Karen Dowell, Melissa Hatcher and Kim Shears.
