Shorter, Linda Colley

With hearts full of love and a sorrow that words cannot fully express, we announce the passing of our beloved, Linda Lee Colley Shorter. On the morning of August 16, 2026, we said goodbye to the cornerstone of our family—the woman whose love and presence held us together in more ways than we could ever put into words. And though our hearts are heavy with grief, there is a little solace in knowing that she fell asleep peacefully and slipped quietly away from this world.

There was something almost magical about the way our Granny could make things grow. Give her a little piece of earth, some sunlight, and a seed, and somehow she could turn it into something beautiful. Her home, inside and out, was always filled with plants that seemed to flourish simply because they were in her care. But her greatest gift was never just knowing how to grow flowers and plants—it was knowing how to nurture life with patience, tenderness, and love. The same hands that could grow an entire wildflower garden also held and comforted her family, leaving behind a love that will continue to bloom in all of us.

Linda came into this world on January 15, 1953. She attended Narrows High School in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time when long hair, bell-bottoms, and miniskirts were all the rage. She loved to tell us stories about those days, especially about her “mini skirts.” She would share those memories with a little grin and a playful batting of her eyes, as if to remind us all that she knew she was something special back in the day. Those stories gave us a glimpse of the young woman she was.

Shortly after graduating from Narrows at the young age of 20, she found out she was going to be a mommy. On December 8, 1973, she gave birth to her one and only baby girl, whom she named Stacey Lynette. We loved to hear her tell the birthing story—and she never left out a single detail about just how awful she thought it was! With a laugh, she would say that experience was enough to convince her that one child was plenty, thank you very much. And so, her beautiful baby girl—her “Sissy”—remained her one and only, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

They moved around quite a bit before eventually landing in Pasadena, Texas, when Stacey was around three years old. There, Linda worked in construction—a job that was no small feat for a woman in those days. And knowing her, I’m sure she gave those men a run for their money. All her life, right up until her very last day, she was tough as nails, often making those who loved her believe she was simply indestructible.

After a few years of living in Texas, Linda and her baby girl moved back home to be close to her family. Not long after returning, Linda found herself spending an evening at the Sunset Lounge in Glen Lyn, Virginia, when in walked James “Jimmy” Shorter. To hear Jimmy tell it, he was stopped dead in his tracks the moment he saw the beautiful, brown-haired, green-eyed woman sitting at a table. And just like that, the beginning of their love story was written.

Linda and Jimmy would go on to spend 40 beautiful years together. Together, they built a life filled with love, hard work, a little bickering, and, most of all, family. Jimmy built their log home, a place that became so much more than just a house. It became the heart of their family—a place where delicious meals were prepared, holidays were celebrated, and memories were made. It was where their three grandchildren—Morgan, Makenzie, and Tommy—spent their childhoods, and where six great-grandchildren—her “babies,” Kash, Fynlee, Witten, Maven, Leighton, and Kerrigan—came running through the doors. And through it all, Linda filled every corner of that home with the warmth, laughter, and love that came so naturally to her.

Linda loved her grandchildren fiercely. She was the kind of Granny who made you feel like you belonged to her heart in a way that no one else could. She watched them grow, loved them through every stage of life, and created memories they will carry with them forever. The laughter, the adventures, (especially camping), the stories, and even the simple everyday moments became part of a childhood they will always look back on with love.

And while she was tough as nails, there was another side of Linda that those who loved her knew best. She had a softness that showed itself in the way she cared for her family, the way she tended to her plants, and the way she could make a house feel like home. She gave love in the same way she grew things—with patience, devotion, and a little bit of magic. And just as her flowers continued to bloom under her care, the love she planted in each of us will continue to grow long after she is gone.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Elster and Iva Colley; her brother, LeeRoy Colley (Rhonda); and her sister, Carlene “Sue” Colley.

She leaves behind her loving husband of 40 years, James “Jimmy” Shorter; her one and only baby girl, Stacey Carter (Tommy); her three grandchildren, Morgan Atkins, Makenzie Blankenship (Christian), and Joel “Tommy” Carter (Emma); and her six great-grandchildren—her beloved “babies,” Kash, Fynlee, Witten, Maven, Leighton, and Kerrigan.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00PM on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the Peterstown Cemetery in Rich Creek, VA, with Pastor Pete Dunford officiating. Online guestbook can be signed or condolences may be sent to the family at www.broyles-shrewsbury.com. Arrangements by Broyles-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, Peterstown, WV.