Shirley C. Farrier Strother Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Shirley C. Farrier Strother, 96, of Blacksburg, died Friday, April 3, 2020 at Showalter Assisted Living Center in Warm Hearth Village. She was born in Glade Spring, Virginia, on December 6, 1923 to the late John F. and Lucille Mock Copenhaver. She attended public school in Washington County, VA and continued her education at Hiwassee College, Radford University, VPI & SU and the University of Virginia. She taught in Giles County Public Schools for six years and was a member of the faculty at Virginia Tech in the Family and Child Development program from 1959 until retirement in 1989. She served as a co-leader of the study abroad program in Finland sponsored by the College of Human Resources at VT in the 1970s. During her tenure at Virginia Tech, Shirley received the Wine Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising. Shirley was a life-long member of the Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents; by her first husband, Robert H. Farrier, in 1986, and by her second husband, Warren H. Strother, in 2006; her sister and brother-in-law, Jane C. and William G. Buckley; her brother , John F. Copenrhaver, Jr.; son-in-law, Heikki Helve. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Helen F. (Ake-Eric) Renqvist of Newport, VA; her son and daughter-in-law, Robert H. (Ursula) Farrier of Edinburgh, Scotland; her sister-in-law, Rosella Copenhaver, of Kingsport, TN; step-daughter, Sue Anne Seckora (Michael) of Hillsboro, OR; step-sons, Keith Strother (Sue) of Riverside, CA, and David Strother (Sharon) of Midlothian, VA. Grandchildren, Piia Helve of Hyattsville, MD, George Robert Renqvist (Jenna) and great grandson, Leif of Pittsburgh, PA, Liam Farrier of Edinburgh, Scotland; step-grandchildren, Annika F. Hannah and Jamie Ferguson of Scotland, Bryan Strother of VA, Logan Strother of CA; nieces and nephews. The family expresses their deep gratitude to the staff of the Showalter Center and Carilion Clinic Hospice. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Blacksburg United Methodist Church, the Newport Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, Warm Hearth Village, or to your favorite New River Valley charity.