Mary Catherine Shipman

Mary Catherine Shipman, 76, of Vinton, passed from this life to be with God on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. She grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. In her youth she enjoyed activities such as Girl Scouts, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and horseback riding. Mary played on the high school girls field hockey team. She graduated from American University in 1969 with a B.A. in English. She worked for the National Park Service, IRS, and Supreme Court, among numerous other jobs. As a young adult, Mary and a friend enjoyed a whirlwind European tour visiting London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and other cities.

After her mother passed away in 1995, Mary went to live with her father. They took loving care of each other until his passing in 2012. Mary bought a home and moved to Vinton in 2014. She soon suffered from severe mobility issues and became homebound, with cancer discovered the last 8 months of her life. Mary bravely faced all these health challenges. She greatly appreciated the loving care and companionship given by her many caregivers.

Mary was a sweet, gentle, loving soul and will be greatly missed.

She was predeceased by her father, John Daniel Shipman, Jr.; mother, Katie Odom Shipman, and sister, Linda Anne Cunningham.

Surviving family includes a sister, Susan Jean (Cary) Leeth; brother, John Daniel Shipman, III, and several nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at the Lotz Funeral Home Chapel in Vinton with Pastor Tom Hurt officiating. Interment will follow in Mountain View Cemetery, Vinton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Blue Ridge Baptist Church Building Fund at 2410 Hardy Rd, Vinton, Va. 24179 or the American Cancer Society. Online condolences and a live stream of the service may be found at www.lotzfuneralhomevinton.com

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