Shelly Lane Sterner-Willard, 60
Mrs. Shelly Lane Sterner-Willard, 60, of Kernersville, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly after a brave fight. She joined the Lord on Friday, March 22, 2019, at Wesley Long Hospital in Greensboro, North Carolina, surrounded by her family.
Shelly was born in Kalispell on Oct. 6, 1958, the oldest of four children. She spent her early years in Trego and Eureka where she was active in 4-H and her church youth group. During her adolescence she lived in Missoula and was involved in Campfire Girls and Girl Scouts. In high school she was a manager for the wrestling team and enjoyed the entrepreneurship of JA, Junior Achievement.
After her schooling, she began her career at Hennessy’s as a fashion sales consultant. During this time, she met the love of other life, Scott Willard, of Libby. They were married Sept. 6,1980, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Scott’s airline career brought them to Pueblo, Colorado, where their daughter, Andi, was born. They returned to Missoula and completed their family with the birth of their son, Stuart.
Their careers brought them to Kernersville in the fall of 1994 where they made their home. Shelly was a loving mother who was involved in her children’s education and extra-curricular activities. She was our guide, our teacher, our everything. She never missed a game!
She loved making memories while traveling to places like Disney World, San Diego, and Hawaii with her family. Shelly especially enjoyed traveling with Scott to Washington, D.C., and Tennessee where they watched their hometown University of Montana Grizzles play in the NCAA football play-offs. Shelly was very proud of her Montana roots. She was an avid reader and a lifelong learner. She loved people and would always go out of her way to make anyone feel welcome. She enjoyed her job, and all her co-workers, at Piedmont International Airport. Shelly had an incredible sense of humor and always radiated joy and laughter as she lit up a room with her smile. Shelly was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend who was loved by all. She cherished her grandchildren and her role as “Mimi.”
Shelly saw the beauty of this world, and her life made it a brighter place.
Shelly was preceded in death by her father, Jack Sterner; grandparents Bill and Vella Sterner, formerly of Kalispell; grandmother, Margaret Grove, formerly of Somers; and her sister, Tina Sterner-Smith.
She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Scott Willard; her children, Stuart Willard and Andi Lane (Jeremy) Price in Kernersville, her grandchildren, Jorden Lane Price and Bryant William Price all of Kernersville; her mother, Nyla Lane Sterner; her siblings, Shane (April) Sterner of Missoula, and Claudi Jo (Tim) Lund of Hamilton; her uncle, Morey Grove, of Kalispell, and many adored nieces and nephews.
A graveside service for Shelly will take place at 2 p.m. on Monday, June 10, at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Missoula. A memorial service for Shelly was held on March 27 at Hayworth-Miller Kernersville Chapel.