Obituary: Shelba Grady Hill
Shelba Grady Hill was born November 4th, 1941, to James Arnold and Lena Grady. The youngest of 3 siblings, she was a surprise and delight to her older siblings, Marjorie and James. They grew up in a tight knit community of families that lived along Liddell Rd. When neighbors weren’t helping each other farm, they spent their time together bonding over shared meals and stories. It was here Shelba learned the value of good conversations with good people. The stories she shared about her early childhood filled her with love and laughter and these neighbors remained her chosen family for a lifetime.
When she wasn’t talking, she was reading. She inherited a love of books from her father and built upon that early foundation throughout her school years. Her love for her teachers and principals inspired her at an early age to want to be a teacher herself. She would graduate as valedictorian of her high school and receive her English degree from East Carolina College (now ECU). After college, Shelba returned to Deep Run to teach high school English under the mentorship of Mr. A.R. and Cora Lee Munn. They would become lifelong friends, and Shelba modeled her sense of community pride and service from their example.
Next to books, the other great love in her life was Dempsey. They met in her freshman year of high school and dated throughout high school and college, eventually marrying on Dec. 29, 1963. During her 7th year of teaching, she and Dempsey had their first child, Megan Lee. Shelba left teaching that same year to join Dempsey at Kinston Clinic Pharmacy. Eight years later, Miranda Grady was born and another seven years later, Matthew Craig completed the Hill family.
Shelba had an unshakable faith in God and spent many years serving in women’s missions, as a Sunday school teacher and deaconess. She deeply cherished the bonds she formed at Deep Run First Baptist, Kinston First Baptist and Grace Fellowship.
The epitome of a “people person”, she never met a stranger and was genuinely interested in everyone she saw. She could remember the family trees of half the county. Her spirit was quick to praise and inspired the best of everyone around her. She saw beauty everywhere, in nature, in people and in the written word. She loved to host tea parties and showers and was always honored to direct a wedding.
Shelba also really loved grandbabies, and great grandbabies; her own or other people’s, it didn’t matter. She went to every recital and play and ballgame. She wanted to know about every first step, and every step after.
We could go on and on, but as Shelba would say “I’ve talked you down, so I’ll let you go…but one more thing while I have you…” Please join us this Sunday, August 2 at 4:00 pm for a memorial service at Kinston First Baptist Church and a tea party to follow the service.
Shelba was preceded in death by her parents; Arnold and Lena Grady, husband Dempsey Hill; Marjorie Eason (sister) and James Arnold Grady (brother).
She is survived by her children; Megan Hill Saint-Amand (Steve); Miranda Hill Wiggins (Kevin), and Matthew Hill. Grandchildren; Madison Saint-Amand Davis (Brett), Malone Saint-Amand (Cooper Roddy), Maddox Saint-Amand, Cleo Wiggins, Cade Wiggins, Sylas Rouse and Rowan Hill. Great-grandchildren; Hillson Davis and Beckett Davis.
