Shirley Huckabee

On July 16, 2026, Shirley Ann Floyd Huckabee was called home at the age of ninety. She passed peacefully at Holiday Crescent Heights in Concord, North Carolina, surrounded by her family. She was a woman who rarely raised her voice, never showed impatience, and never seemed to carry a hard feeling toward anyone. Those who knew her longest will tell you she was consistently and beautifully kind - and the world is richer for the ninety years she spent in it.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 2:00 to 2:45 PM, followed by a memorial service at 3:00 PM, officiated by Rev. Aaron Edwards, both at Wilkinson Funeral Home, 100 Branchview Drive NE, Concord, North Carolina.

Shirley was born on March 4, 1936, in Charlotte, North Carolina, to the late Juanita Wright Floyd and the late Grady Clifton Floyd. She is also preceded in death by her husband James William Huckabee, her stepmother Virginia Floyd, her brothers Burton Floyd, Curtis Floyd and Jerry Floyd, her sister Patsy Perkins and her son-in-law Charles Hatley.

From a young age, she was lovingly raised by her stepmother, the late Virginia Bishop Floyd, who shaped so much of who Shirley became - her grace, her warmth, her steady and generous spirit. She grew up in Charlotte, attending Thomasboro High School, before going on to earn her associate's degree from Mars Hill College. She was a woman who believed in doing things right and doing them with care.

In 1956, Shirley married the love of her life, James William Huckabee, and together they built a life full of laughter, family, and adventure. In 1970 they moved from Charlotte to Worthington Ohio where she entered the workforce as a bank teller at City National Bank and as a bookkeeper at McVay's Ethan Allen Design Center, then began a substantial career in the accounting department at Wendy's International in Dublin Ohio. At Wendy's, her reliability, attention to detail and exceptional interpersonal skills earned her promotions to supervisory roles. But the work she was most proud of - the work she did with her whole heart - was being a wife, a mother, and eventually a grandmother and great-grandmother.

Shirley was an artist in the truest sense of the word. Over her lifetime she painted, worked with ceramics, made jewelry and other crafts, and collected beautiful things - especially her beloved depression glass, which she displayed with the pride of someone who understood that beauty matters. She had a keen eye and a patient hand, and her pieces were a reflection of the quiet, attentive spirit she brought to everything she touched. She also had a deep and abiding love for animals, especially cats, and leaves behind her cherished grand-dog Roxie, who was very dear to her heart.

In her final years at Holiday Crescent Heights, Shirley blossomed in new ways that delighted her family. She made new friends, enjoyed good meals in the dining room, took part in community activities and found a special companionship that brought her joy. The family is forever grateful for the competent and compassionate care that she received from Graceful Homecare which allowed her to live and thrive in independent living. Even as her health began to slow her down following a fall in May, she remained herself - gentle, present, grateful. She was never angry, never bitter, never demanding. She simply loved the people around her and let herself be loved in return.

She is survived by her children: James "Michael" Huckabee of Las Vegas, Nevada; Roger Huckabee of Concord, North Carolina; Patricia Gardner and husband Mark of Columbus, Ohio; Margaret Hatley of Albemarle, North Carolina; and she is also survived by five grandchildren: Sarah Hatley and partner Jason Brown; Kyle Huckabee and wife Bajaree "Noon"; James "Christopher" Huckabee; Carolyn Gardner; and Kathleen Gardner - as well as three great-grandchildren: Dahlia Dewyea, Layla Brown, and Aiden Brown.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorials to the Humane Society of Concord and Greater Cabarrus County, in honor of a woman who believed deeply in the care of all creatures great and small.