Shirley Jean Baumgardner

Shirley Jean Walker Baumgardner passed peacefully on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in her home surrounded by family after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a legacy of devoted love and care. She was a loving wife, mother, and great, great grandmother and all knew her for her kind heart and beautiful caring soul. She was a devoted wife of husband to Thomas Burg Baumgardner, “Tom,” with whom she shared a loving marriage of over 63 years.

She worked in skilled nursing locally for the last 35 plus years of her career finally retiring from the Mountain Home Veterans Hospital as a Critical Care nurse. She supported and cared for thousands of patients and families through the years and took great pride in her quality of care she provided to those in need. In her free time, Shirley enjoyed sewing, crafting, and cherishing moments spent with her family. Her devotion to great grandchildren and all her loved ones was evident in everything she did.

Shirley was preceded in death by her father Elmer Walker and mother Virginia Blair Walker, sister Kathie Marie Walker Walton, and brother Donald Ray Walker. Shirley is survived by her husband Tom and their three children: Daughters, Patricia Arnold, Lora Baumgardner, Carolyn Sandberg and her husband Jonathan. She was a proud grandmother to four grandchildren: Summer Arnold (Jason), Chelsey (Michael) Nease, Nathan (Shannon) Sandberg, and Austin Sandberg. She was a great grandmother to six great grandchildren: Lindsey (Aubrey) Sarver, Kelsey and Karoline Kraft, and Sarah Potts, Dru and Jaedyn Dotson. She was a loving great, great, grandmother to Kathryn and Judah Sarver.

In addition to her immediate family, Shirley is survived by her brother Danny Lee Walker and wife Valerie, as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins. She also leaves many wonderful friends and thoughtful neighbors,

The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 30, 2025, from 5:00 until 6:00 P.M. at Farris Funeral Service - Main Street Chapel, 427 East Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia. Funeral service will be held afterward at 6:00 pm at the Main Street Chapel of Farris Funeral Service with a eulogy shared by Shirley’s children in conjunction with Dr. Douglas Smith and Brother Tim Stevens. A graveside will be held on Monday, March 31, 2025 at 3:30 p.m., at Forest Hills Memory Gardens, 19415 Lee Highway, Abingdon. Those wishing to be in the funeral procession are asked to be at the funeral home by 2:45pm. Pallbearers are grandsons Nathan Sandberg, Jonathan Smith, Michael Nease, Darrell Kestner, Jason Kraft, and Aubrey Sarver.

The family of Shirley Jean Walker Baumgardner is being cared for by Farris Funeral Service & Crematory, Main Street location, 427 E. Main Street, Abingdon, VA 276-623-2700.