Thomas Wayne Shelton

Thomas Wayne Shelton, 90, of Rural Hall, NC, went to live with our Lord and Savior on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. Wayne was born in Surry County on August 9, 1934 to the late John Fletcher Shelton and Sadie Beck Shelton. He is survived by his devoted wife of 70 years, Hilda and sons, Mark (Diane) and Tim (Glenda); grandchildren, Bethany (Aaron), Scott, Sophie (Ross), Stephen (Meagan) and Rachel; great granddaughter, Heidi and great grandsons, Fields, J.J. and Wayden. He is also survived by brother, Kenneth (Susan); sisters, Lois and Glenna. Wayne was preceded in death by brothers, Roger and Eugene.

My brother and I always enjoyed listening to our dad’s stories of his service to our country in the Army during the Korean War. Our dad worked for the United States Postal Service for thirty years, beginning as a mail carrier before transitioning to Supervisor at the Winston-Salem Vehicle Maintenance Facility and then as Post Master for the Franklinville and Rural Hall Post Offices before retiring. For seven years following retirement, our dad drove a school bus for Winston-Salem Public Schools. He also volunteered with Meals-On-Wheels to deliver warm meals to seniors throughout the Winston-Salem community. Our dad instilled in my brother and me the reward of a hard day’s work and the value of a dollar saved. And we never had to question his loyal commitment and true love for our mom or his strong faith in God. Our parents enjoyed cross-country road trips together to visit sights and attractions that most of us just read about. The two enjoyed an adventurous trip to Alaska that included sightseeing and a romantic cruise along the coast. He and our mom enjoyed several years of square dancing in colorful outfits with friends at various local and remote events. At some point he attempted water skiing and apparently became good at it. Our dad valued time with his grandkids and great grandkids, whether at ballgames, swim meets, school performances, or simply playing in and around the house. Our wonderful dad was a dedicated son, supportive brother, devoted husband, caring Pawpaw and a true friend to anyone that knew him. During the past 10 months he lived at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living at Winston-Salem where he puttered around and enjoyed having meals with our mom. As described in 1 Corinthians 15:44, we know our dad is enjoying his new spiritual body. We love you dad and we will cherish our memories of you!

A service to celebrate our dad’s life will be held at Kingswood Methodist Church in Rural Hall, NC on Thursday, September 5, 2024. Visitation with the family will begin at 1pm followed by the Celebration of Life at 2pm. Burial will follow at Crestview Memorial Park, adjacent to the church. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.