Shirley Elizabeth Padgett Lester
April 2, 1947 to October 4, 2025
78 Years Old
Good morning and thank you so much for coming out today to honor the life of my mom, Shirley Lester. I’m fairly certain most of you know me but in case there is someone here that has never met me, I’m Kelly, Shirley’s daughter. My mom would be blown away that you all set aside time today to come out and be here. I can hear her now…I know everyone is busy…they didn’t have to do this! That was mom. She NEVER thought of herself above others.
This is out of my comfort zone. I am an introvert by nature and definitely not a public speaker. At work I am tucked back in a corner of the office and my day consists of numbers, spreadsheets, financials and invoices. HOWEVER…there is no one that knew my mom better than me, loved her more than me or spent as much time with her as I did so I wanted to honor her publicly and give you some insight into her amazing life from my perspective.
Shirley Elizabeth Padgett was born on April 2, 1947 in Richmond, VA. As soon as she got home from the hospital she joined her dad and mom, Sam and Ann Padgett and her older brother by 20 months, Bill Padgett. The black and white picture in the slide show of the little girl and boy kissing is my mom and her brother Bill. I’ve always thought it was such a cute picture and it was taken on my mom’s 2nd birthday so Bill was 4 months shy of turning 4. Bill, thank you for coming out today. You have had to say goodbye to your mom, dad and now your little sister. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Mom’s dad (my Granddaddy) worked for Singer Sewing Machine Company and he eventually worked his way up into a managerial level. When Singer Sewing Machine retail locations were opened he was often called to help facilitate the opening of the store and stayed on until it got established and was operational. He was also called to stores that were not functioning well to see if he could help restore the profitability of the store. Granddaddy’s job often led to him having to uproot his family and relocate, sometimes as often as every couple of years. This made making lasting friendships hard for my mom. One of my Granddaddy’s last moves led him to Winchester, VA.
It was in Winchester, VA that my mom met and made her first two very best friends. Friends that are still friends 65 years later. Bobbie and Linda are here today to show their love and support and to honor a friendship that has withstood marriages, births of children, loss of parents and numerous other life events. Bobbie and Linda, I have heard many stories of your friendship through the years and my heart is overwhelmed that you are here today to pay your last respects to my mom and say goodbye to your lifelong friend.
As mom was nearing the end of her Senior year of high school my Granddaddy had to make one more move with Singer Sewing Machine. He was called from Winchester, VA to Roanoke, VA. There was a Singer Sewing Machine store opening up in Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke, VA. By the time my mom’s high school graduation happened, my Grandaddy had already moved to Roanoke and then after graduation my Nana, my mom and her brother Bill moved to join him in Roanoke. Roanoke is where mom’s brother, Bill, met his wife, Becky and it eventually is where my mom met Bobby Lester.
On July 7, 1967 Shirley Padgett married Bobby Lester. After the wedding they relocated to Salem, VA where they made their home. Just about two years later on May 6, 1969 they welcomed a daughter into the world…ME!
In April of 1970 my mom got home from work one day and my dad told her that he no longer wanted to be a husband or a father. Divorce proceedings were started and he gave up custody of me to her. PLEASE DO NOT THINK ILL OF MY DAD…I WILL EXPLAIN WHY IN A MINUTE.
Mom had just turned 23 years old and had an 11 month old baby girl to raise on her own now. She moved in with her parents while she was grieving the loss of her marriage and adjusting to being a single parent. She stayed with her parents until I was about 3 or 4 years old and then moved the two of us out to her own apartment and then purchased her first home for us when I was about 4 or 5 years old.
Around 42 years ago my mom met Linda Okes. Linda and my mom quickly became best friends, confidantes and travel buddies. No one will ever know just how many secrets are shared between the two. They were there for each other through joys and sorrows. Sharing a meal together out was a favorite thing to do between them. On or around their birthdays (April 2 for my mom and November 4 for Linda) you could always find them at either Kabuki or Outback Steakhouse. Linda’s husband, Roger, is the person who opened this service with prayer. Linda, I watched with tears in my eyes and sorrow in my heart when you said your final goodbye to my mom the other day. My heart hurts for you but I know you hold onto the fact that you will see her again one day.
My mom held many titles in her lifetime. She was a daughter, sister, granddaughter, sister-in-law, wife, cousin, aunt, friend, best friend and co-worker. There are three titles she held that meant more to her than anything. Those titles are Mom, MIL and Nana.
My husband, Rick, called my mom MIL. Mother-in-Law. MIL. There are only a few times in my life that I heard him call her Shirley. It was mainly MIL. Rick and my mom were close. Very close. My mom adored Rick and loved him dearly. She had prayed throughout my life that I would find the godly man meant for me to marry. Someone who would love me, spiritually lead me, honor me, protect me, defend me, treasure me, adore me, cherish me and always be there for me. Rick, you have beautifully fulfilled all of those things. She knew her prayers had been answered when God led us to each other and she saw how you totally love me and how completely you take good care of me. You could make her laugh like no other. She loved you and always had a special place in her heart for you.
My girls, Katelyn and Lauren, are the only two people on the earth who had the privilege of calling my mom Nana. My mom loved being a Nana and there was a devotion and love between my mom and my girls that only grew with each day. Once my girls were born Mom began the process of retirement. Eventually my mom fully retired so she could be the one who watched them for me and Rick instead of having to use a daycare facility. There are no words to describe the depth of love my mom had for Katelyn and Lauren. She was at every event they were ever a part of, every recital, every chapel service at the school they attended, every awards ceremony, every play whether it be a school play or a church play, every basketball game when Katelyn played basketball, every soccer game when they both played soccer and every volleyball game for 7 years straight for both girls. She was there for every graduation. In fact, every moment my girls were a part of, Nana was there. It was unheard of for Katelyn or Lauren to look out on the crowd of whatever they were doing and not see their Nana there watching them, supporting them and cheering them on.
Girls, you had so much fun with your Nana. From all the amazing side trips to the annual Dollar Store trip before the beach every year to the sleepovers at her house she filled your world with laughter and fun but she also lived a life that exemplifies Christ. She reinforced the godly training you all were receiving at home, at school and at church.
Katelyn and Lauren, I know this is hard. I lost my Nana when I was 17 and I was as close to her as you are with your Nana. My heart hurts for you and I’m so sorry you are going through this but hold on to those precious times she had with you. Those times are now memories that you can live over and over and be reminded of how loved you were by your Nana.
Katelyn, baby girl, you are getting married in just a little over 48 hours to an amazing man that your dad and I have come to truly love and respect. Cody is going to take such sweet and incredible care of you and I know your dad and I have prayed for him ever since we found out you were a girl BUT I know Nana was also praying. You wanted nothing more than for your Nana to be at your wedding. I wanted that too. Nana DEFINITELY wanted to be there. Everyone in her facility had heard about your wedding and how excited she was. I tirelessly tried to find a way to get her there but I was hit with roadblock after roadblock and it eventually became clear her being there was probably not going to happen. It’s not the way we envisioned BUT she WILL be there. She now has a view like no other and will be with your Grandma and your brother watching as you begin your life with Cody.
MOM…She held this title all but 22 years of her life. My mom is my day one. Although there are some of you here today that have known me my entire life, none of you have known me like my mom knew me. She loved me as unconditionally as a human being is capable of loving. She always had my back. She defended me. She protected me. She supported me. She encouraged me. She prayed for me. She sacrificed for me. She was my first best friend. It was just me and my mom the whole time I was growing up.
I saw my mom mow the yard, shovel snow, change flat tires, change car batteries, check and change the oil in the car, do light maintenance around the house and yard, re-light the pilot light on the gas furnace (got to admit…this one scared me the most). I saw her put chains on tires when it snowed so she could get to work, I saw her go to work every day, make meals from scratch when she got home from work, help me with my homework if I got stumped, help me study before a test or quiz, run me around to whatever event I needed a ride to, teach me how to drive and the list continues on and on. She was my super hero. She just didn’t wear a cape. In my mind, if my mom couldn’t do it it just couldn’t be done. I thought she could do anything and everything.
There was about a 7 year stretch in my growing up years my mom had to work two jobs in order to keep a roof over our heads, keep food on the table and clothes on our back. One income sometimes wasn’t enough. I never heard her complain. She didn’t grumble but she would work her Monday-Friday 8-5 job and then on Friday go to work as a server in a restaurant and work that evening until close, take a shift or 2 on Saturday and take a shift after church on Sunday. The QUANTITY of time during those years may have been lacking for me and my mom but she more than made up for it with QUALITY of time. Every moment we had together she made it so rich, fulfilling, fun and loving.
As she worked her way up in her career she eventually became Vice President over her division at the bank and her income now allowed her to stop having to work the second job to make ends meet. My mom’s work ethic was strong. I know she was bound to get a cold, the flu or a stomach bug but I honestly cannot remember my mom taking sick days. When Lauren was born she had to stay in the NICU for 9 days before coming home. I would get to the hospital every morning and the nurses would always tell me that her Nana had already been in for the day to hold her and love on her and then mom would go to work. Lauren developed colic when she was a few months old and it went on for a few months every night from 10:00 p.m. until approx. 2:00 a.m. every single night without fail. The only way she could be comforted was to pace with her – you couldn’t stop and stand still or sit down – and you had to gently swing her from side to side in your arms. It was exhausting and Rick and I took turns when our arms got tired or when Katelyn would wake up and need one of us. My mom would never give us a heads up or advance notice but many times she would show up at our door, take Lauren from us and begin the pacing and gentle swinging motion and shoo us off to bed to get some rest. Once the episode was over around 2:00 a.m. she would secure Lauren in her crib and head back home and still be at her desk at 8:00 that morning. She always seemed to come on the nights we absolutely needed her most. Mom intuition IS a real thing. Mom was a powerhouse. Nothing seemed to keep her from her job and she stayed until the work was done or she would stay late or go in after hours or weekends to finish projects she couldn’t finish during normal working hours.
Mom was giving. She gave of her time, talents and later in life when she was more financially secure she gave of her finances to help others….BUT it was always anonymous. She went through a time in her life when there were weeks she wondered how she was going to afford groceries or a repair bill and when she saw financial need in others she took her blessings and blessed them. She was crazy skilled with a needle, thread and a sewing machine. When I was growing up it was less expensive to make clothes than to buy them. She made the majority of my clothes. She didn’t even need a pattern. She would make her own or most of the time she would just guess and her guessing was always spot on and accurate. She did alterations throughout her life for many, many people and it was free of charge. She did it not to make money but to bless people and help them with a need. Throughout life she volunteered at church in various capacities, sat on boards and committees and was the Treasurer on and off until just a few years ago when her cognitive abilities began to slow her down. She LOVED volunteering for the Agape Center. The Agape Center is a place where low to no income families can come and get food, clothing, housewares and items for their family. They receive prayer and someone to mentor them and make sure not only their physical needs are met but their spiritual needs too. Mom loved volunteering there. She was blessed every time she left there and she was there at least once a week every week but usually it was two times.
I learned forgiveness from my mom. She didn’t hold grudges. She didn’t turn people out of her life if they wronged her or hurt her. She prayed for them and always found a way to reconcile a broken relationship. She couldn’t stand confrontation and didn’t like it if she wasn’t in harmony with others.
Remember I told you earlier not to think ill of my dad???? Yes, my dad hurt my mom when he left us. Yes, her life wasn’t easy financially or otherwise having to raise me by herself. HOWEVER…my mom told her mom and dad, my Nana and Granddaddy, that they were never, ever to speak an unkind word about my dad to me. My mom never spoke an unkind word about my dad to me. We teach our children that everything we do and say has a consequence. After my dad left us he went on to make some decisions in his life that had some very unpleasant consequences. My mom didn’t want me to hear about any of it. She told her mom and dad and me later when I was grown that regardless of what my dad did, he was my dad and without him there would be no me and she would always be grateful she met and married him and they had me. She didn’t want me forming any opinion of him based on anything negative I may have overheard. Actually, all of the things I’ve learned about my dad that are negative I never heard from my mom. I heard them from other people that were in his life and knew of things he did. Her forgiveness of him was such a beautiful example to me and I think of it often when I’ve been wronged or hurt. My mom and dad were actually friends towards the end of his life. She helped him with his finances, shopped with him for jeans and tennis shoes and they talked quite a bit on the phone. I was in the process of trying to get to know my dad and have lunch and dinner dates with him when he suddenly passed away in his sleep one night when I was 21. Mom was the one waiting for me at my apartment door after I got off work the day my dad died. She wanted to be the one to tell me and hold me when I heard the news of his passing because she knew I was trying to reach out to him and build a relationship with him. All of that came about because of my mom’s gracious ability and desire to forgive him.
As I close out my tribute to mom I wanted to tell you about one last title she held.
By the way, mom is up in Heaven rejoicing right now and she is saying, Kelly, it’s about time you stopped talking about me (she did not like being the center of attention or being praised). She’s saying tell them about Jesus. Don’t let them leave without telling them about Jesus.
The last title I want to touch on is the title she held of Loved and Forgiven Child of God. Mom gave her life to Jesus when she was 18. All my life she and I were in church. I don’t ever remember a time she didn’t have me in church. Mom knew she couldn’t do this life alone and she needed the Lord’s daily – HOURLY – help to navigate life and all it entails. She relied on Him daily and talked to Him continuously. I know she is in Heaven today because she followed Him faithfully and asked Him to cleanse her of any sin or show her any wrongdoing in her life. I know I will see her again one day because of this. This separation right now is painful and I will have to find a way to live my life without calling, texting or seeing my mom daily. I will find a new normal and no matter how many days I have left here on earth I know there is a part of my heart that will never be the same because of the depth of love and strength of the relationship I had with my mom. However, I know God carries me and will do a work in my hurting heart. I do know I will be okay. I have a very loving family at home and at church and my work family is actually more like family than co-workers. Everywhere I go I am loved. I will be okay. I will see mom again. God has promised me that.
Over the last 10 days of my mom’s life I was by her side almost the entire time. Thank you to my boss, Jim, for being so gracious to give me all the time I needed to be with my mom as she was passing. You have no idea what an incredible gift you gave me and how much I appreciate you. As I watched mom’s hospice staff and the staff at her assisted living facility come in and out of her room they would walk over to mom and whisper in her ear how much they will miss her and how much they love her. Many walked away with tears in their eyes. I will never forget this special time and I’m so thankful God allowed me to witness what a legacy my mom was leaving. Even in her final days my mom was still ministering to people and making the world a sweeter place.
On the last day my mom was able to communicate she reached for me as I left her room that night. It was after 10:00 p.m. and I told her I needed to go home and see Rick because I hadn’t seen him all day. It was uncharacteristic for her to initiate a hug at this point but she reached out her arm and beckoned me toward her. She gently brought my face down to hers and said you know how much I love you, right? I said back I do because it’s exactly how much I love you. When I got home I told Rick I had so much peace and I felt like that was probably my mom’s final expression of love to me and her way of saying goodbye.
I had been praying for a while now that mom would not have a long and lingering death experience with suffering or pain. I wanted her to go to sleep peacefully and wake up with Jesus. That is exactly what happened. Just the day before she passed away I began a Bible reading plan with my daughter, Lauren, and we read the Bible out loud to her on Friday night. On Saturday evening (the evening she passed away) I was exhausted and I was weary. I wanted to read the daily Bible reading plan Lauren and I had just started but I just couldn’t find the energy to read out loud. I got out my phone and opened my Bible app and had my phone read the daily passage to us. I put the phone on speaker and laid the phone beside my mom’s head on her pillow as I held her hand and rubbed her arm. We were in Genesis so we were reading about Abraham and Sarah, Rachel, Jacob and Esau. As soon as the reading was complete I turned my phone off. I walked away to stretch my legs for just a few seconds. When I came back to her bed her breathing was peaceful for the first time in days and I told her I loved her so much. She took one long, last breath and then she met Jesus. My mom was there to welcome me into the world and I got to be there with her as she left the world. It was just the two of us and I am so grateful God gave me that moment with just her. It was so fitting because so much of our life together it was just us. As I sat there trying to absorb that she was gone I was filled with awe and wonder that those Bible characters we just read about are not just people talked about in the pages of a Bible. Mom was actually face to face with Jesus and she could see Abraham and Sarah and Rachel and Jacob and Esau in person. God gave me such a gift that night. He took my mom peacefully and answered THAT prayer but He also filled my heart with a knowing that she is now with Him and He now has her for all eternity.
Lastly, I want to share something my daughter Lauren shared with me. She told me a day or two before mom died that she wished she could paint the picture she had of Nana in her mind. In order for this to make sense there are a few things you need to know. First of all, Brandon is the son Rick and I had before Katelyn. He was a stillborn so he has been in Heaven for 23 years now but he never got to meet any of us on this side of eternity. Esther is Rick’s mom and she was an amazing godly woman who was my personal Prayer Warrior and she spoke such truth and wisdom over her family. She passed away 6 years ago in 2019. Lastly, my mom loved her white leather Reebok tennis shoes the most out of all her shoes and wore them more than anything. Here is Lauren’s text to me and it’s a direct quote of her text to me:
Mom: This is what I picture. Nana takes her last breath just to gain an eternal breath with a new body where her tennis shoes are laced up and she runs faster than she’s been able to in such a long time. She runs right into Jesus’ arms who has His arms wide open, tears in His eyes. There are tears in Nana’s eyes and she’s running full force into His arms and then she collapses on the floor and Jesus says welcome home my good and faithful one. Then Jesus proceeds to say I have someone I want you to meet and He steps aside and Grandma is holding Brandon’s hand then she lets go and Brandon runs into Nana’s arms.
END QUOTE
You see, my mom didn’t just raise me with a lick and a promise and a hope that she would do a good job. She was intentional. She was all in. She was building a legacy of faith and love and was future minded as she raised me. She wanted to reside in Heaven one day but she wanted me and her granddaughters and anyone in her sphere of influence to be with her. That is ALL of you.
I will see my mom again one day. I love her with all my heart and then some and I will never forget her. She is in my heart and on my mind every single day and not a day will go by that I won’t think of her and be grateful for her.
I love you mom. Thank you for raising me the way you did and giving me the example you did to live a life that speaks to and ministers to and serves others. I told you in one of our last conversations it’s not goodbye. It’s see you later. I’ll see you again one day and we will never have to say goodbye ever again.
