Mary Short | Obit

Mary Faye Shelton Short

Mary Faye Shelton Short passed away on July 22, 2026. She was 90 years old. Faye was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, the youngest daughter of Grady Shelton and Annie Powell.

Faye grew up in Madison, North Carolina, with two sisters and three brothers. Their family lived on a farm for the first seven years of Faye’s life, and she loved her time on the farm. She shared many wonderful stories about it, including her jobs of caring for animals and collecting eggs from the often protective hens.

After graduating from Madison High School (and being crowned Miss Madison), Faye went to nursing school and then worked on the psychiatry ward at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. One day a young intern named Floyd Alvin Short visited a patient on the ward, and Faye and Floyd met each other and fell in love. They married on December 31, 1960. Soon after, Floyd entered the U.S. Army as a doctor and they moved to Karlsruhe, Germany, where they lived for two years. They took the opportunity to travel throughout Europe extensively, and their son, Floyd Grady, was born in Germany in 1963.

A few months later, they moved to Mercer Island, Washington, for Floyd to complete his residency and then a fellowship in cardiology at the University of Washington in Seattle. Their daughter, Kathleen Miriam (Katie), was born in Seattle in 1965.

Faye was a nurturing and dedicated mother, devoted to her family and friends. She was both elegant and down to earth, and her sharp wit was as entertaining as it was self-effacing. Faye was famous for her pecan pie and Southern chocolate cake. Most of all, Faye welcomed and treated everyone with dignity and respect, no matter how different they might appear to be, and she credited her mother Annie Powell for teaching her the kindness and compassion she expressed to others throughout her whole life.

Faye and Floyd were married for 64 years, until Floyd passed away in early 2025. They lived a beautiful and full life together. They both sang as members of the Seattle First Baptist Church Choir, and they loved camping, skiing, and international travel. They visited Antarctica, Africa, Asia, and Europe. They even crossed the Atlantic on a sailing ship, traveling from Portugal to Barbados via Morocco and the Canary Islands.

Faye is dearly loved by her family and countless friends. She is survived by her twin brother, James Ray Shelton, and her children, their spouses, and five grandchildren: Floyd (son), Tsering (daughter in law), R. Grady (grandson), Anna (granddaughter), and Kalden (grandson); Katie (daughter), Mark (son in law), Jackson (grandson), and Hannah (granddaughter).

A memorial service will be held on Friday, August 21, at 5:00 p.m. at Fellowship Hall, Covenant Living at the Shores, 9150 Fortuna Drive, Mercer Island, WA 98040.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the Medic One Foundation, 11747 NE 1st Street, Suite 310, Bellevue, WA 98005, (425) 625-2137, www.mediconefoundation.org.